[THE NEW CONNECTED SOCIAL TRAVELERS OF NEPAL #1]
How are apps changing the way people travel in Nepal? Transforming tourism into an eco-humanitarian-experience?
A New Era for Tourism
It is undeniable, the Technological Revolution of our century has changed many things in our daily lives. We don’t order food as we used to do, pay as we used to do, read as we used to do. So it was somehow obvious that traveling with a smartphone rather than a map and a few guidebooks would have a deep impact on the practice. But who could have predicted such a result? That instead of erasing the social path of physical discussions and the direct human contact one must take to find his way on a road without internet, it made it evolve towards even more communal, humanitarian and even ecological outcomes.
Ladies and gentlemen, a New Race of travelers were born: The Socially Responsible Travelers. People who don’t only seek nice vistas on top of mountains, or sunburns on sandy beaches. No, they want to leave the country their visiting knowing it is a better place, and with relations, they will strongly carry on maintaining. A contemporary kind of adventure, where you discover a culture by human contact introduced throughout the internet, and then fully participate in the construction of their future, and at the same time, share your experience by the help of social media. Thus, turning your filtered pictures and selfies into inspirations for others. Pushing them to follow the same itinerary. And this trend is now happening in Nepal as you read…
A Young Orphan Girl joining a march for “Clean Up Nepal”
Tourism is a heartbeat for the local economy of Nepal. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, “Travel & Tourism generated US$7.6 trillion (10.2% of global GDP) and 292 million jobs in 2016, equivalent to 1 in 10 jobs in the country’s economy”. 51% of which, is directly linked to people vacations (Mostly from Asian and European Countries) and 13% at the service of Trekking and Hiking. While it is hard to figure out how much visitors take part in “Solidarity Tourism”, it is still a young, and therefore not the most popular, trend. The National Union of Tourist Associations revealed in 2005, that only 1% of international tourism have an ethical purpose, but that 25% of people above 18 years old have strongly thought about it, while 17% express the difficulty they experience finding a meaningful mission.
Nowadays, no official number can offer us a clear idea concerning the popularity of social tourism in Nepal. In fact, it is even more difficult to obtain exact numbers in our present time, because people don’t go through “expensive” NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) anymore but find their own projects using Social Media and Apps, where official registration is not required. Nevertheless, if we put all these numbers together, keeping in mind their tendency to grow, and add up the increasing number of tourism in Nepal (from 676 000 in 2002 to 1 248 000, in 2015) we can only assume, that these numbers are starting to get positively high.
Let’s explore a few examples to support this hypothesis…
“COUCHSURFING” AND ORPHANAGES
IN NEPAL
Extracted from the Couchsurfing.com profile of Menuka (Interview Below)
Couchsurfing: A modern-day traveler’s tool
Founded in 2003, Couchsurfing is a social networking service offering to its the opportunity to find and share hospitality. Regrouping approximatively 14 million members, distributed in more than 200 000 cities around the world, it is a new international form of traveling accommodations competing with online booking. But, what’s the game changer?
The global platform is based on a gift-giving economy, meaning no money is ever exchanged between the host and the visitor. However, a trade still occurs. People share with each other their stories, experience, and lives. By at the same time, practicing their capacities to speak foreign languages in a housewarming environment.
It has become the new Facebook for travelers. Using the online application, or the official website, modern-day adventurers from all over the globe can find a free place to stay and make new friends nearly everywhere in the world. Furthermore, they can publish their travel plans, organize meetings and activities…Open to whoever wants to join in.
Outing at Buddha Stupa with the children of “Child Care Center “
My personal experience with the Couchsurfing App:
When I recently arrived in Nepal, I decided to give the App a try. I had already installed it years ago on my phone but never had the opportunity to use it. Being a reporter, I was really looking for a first, new, fresh contact, in the country where I was going to live for the next few months. Someone who can give me precious advice about the lifestyle, tips for must-go locations, and free authentic lessons on his culture. In such manners, the description of the app fitted perfectly my expectations, as well as for my small budget. This brings me to my surprising discovery:
In Kathmandu, there are exactly 9, 141 hosts offering shelter to the lost and curious. Among them, and in the top choices suggested, you can find 117 hosts offering travelers to participate in their social work, 28 of whom, offering a stay in an orphanage. More precisely, asking for help in orphanages or schools.
Without any hesitation, I jumped on the occasion to myself experience a different dimension of accommodation abroad. Looking forward to participating and assisting social workers in their daily mission.
I arrived a late Thursday afternoon in the grey dusty atmosphere surrounding the Tribhuvan International Airport. Just like any 21st-century tourist, I had my phone in the hand and looked on the map how far was the address given to me by my host, Aakriti. I had sent my request on the Couchsurfing App, only a few days before my arrival. She had accepted it straight away. The only condition: “If you want to stay, you have to help”. It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that I accepted the terms of that unofficial written contract.
Once I arrived at the Girls Hostel (for students), food was served to me and a bed was made. After a delicious local traditional dinner, I was invited to follow the girl students, staying there during the scholar year, as they showed me around the neighborhood and temples. Sharing by the same occasion, their vision of their country, and allowing me to learn a few useful Nepali words. I hadn’t been in the world’s highest country for more than 24 hours, already, it felt like home…A different first contact than the mechanical official two-minutes greetings you will find at the reception of any Hotel, before being left alone in your room.
The next day, we took the bus with Aakriti, towards the orphanage created by her adopted mother, Puspa Adhikari: The Care Child Orphanage, in Tinkune. The orphanage is located in a small four floors building outside the city center. The establishment supports 15 children, all girls, between 5 and 15 years old, 9 of the youngest live there. Once I stepped through the entrance, there, another surprise was waiting for me to be discovered…
I wasn’t the only foreigner about to live here!
Couchsurfing: A New Tool for social workers?
Follow Tarzan and Jane around the World on Youtube.
Sandor (Hungarian) and Jane (Russian) are a young newlywed couple who have decided to go around the world for their honeymoon in search of a place where they will start a family. They had already been staying in the orphanage for 2 weeks. Living surrounded by the young noisy pieces of sunshine, following their routine, taking them to school, helping them improve their English, play games, teaching them yoga, “having fun” (Sandor)…
I asked Sandor if, when preparing their trip to Nepal, it was in his original intention to work and live in this orphanage.
“No, we found the orphanage by mistake on Couchsurfing.”
So, I then asked him, if he thinks that internet, and apps such as “Couchsurfing”, are changing the way we travel. To which he answered:
“Yes of course! We now have access to ay kind of information in a matter of seconds. It lets people connect with each other very easily. Every day, we invent new ways to connect. Little groups, such as social workers, doing something good for the society and helping in the projects on a local scale have the chance to grow global out of nothing.” (Sandor)
“Couchsurfing is helping the orphanages because children are forced to practice their English. They always have people with good mood around, sometimes volunteers maybe make some donations. And they teach children things. Play with them.” (Sandor)
Puspa Adhikari, the founder of the orphanage, explained: “I want my children to explore the world by meeting different people so that they can learn new things”.
But, How did here, and so many others, discover the App? Why is it becoming so popular in Nepal?
How did it become a trend?
In Puspa’s case, it was one of her students from Denmark who talked her into it. After exchanging on the subject with multiple in the capital, it seems, the main reason orphanages’ chairpersons have started to learn the existence of the app, is by travelers visiting the orphanage in the first place. Brave pioneers, leading the march towards global social tourism. Making it easier for the initiates to join the community…
The following week, I met with Menuka Shrestha, director and founder of Hamro Sunaulo Sansar orphanage, a “host member” of Couchsurfing for two years now. Her answers to my interrogations enlighted me on the subjects:
- Why become a social worker and build a house for the orphans?
“This project I started three years ago after the earthquake. I saw so many children lost their homes and parent. I always wanted to do something for children, but there was always something blocking me. When the earthquake happened in 2015, I knew, now was my time. It inspired me to start the work. I didn’t have the money at the time but from my whiling, I knew that if I would start the work people will come and help me. […]
I want this new orphanage home, to be also a big family. […] I want them to learn how to help each other…
[…] I have 11 children, they are between 5 to 13 years old. All of them are orphans from the earthquake. The youngest arrived when she was two and a half years old.
She was very small when her house collapsed. Her mother left without saying a word, she ran away, leaving the dad with two children… He could not do anything. The big one stayed with her dad. The youngest stayed with me. I fond her, and others, with the help of relatives, friends and an association.”
- How did you find out about Couchsurfing?
” When I started my orphanage, I didn’t know a lot about what to do to receive help…
Two years ago, one of my orphanage friends, came with a Boy from Hongkong, just to visit. And I didn’t know how to do things like advertising. So I met the boy from Hongkong, and he introduced the app to me and made the Couchsurfing for me.
Now, I can have a conversation with the travelers, so they can have more ideas about what we do and what they can do…
I think more than 50 people have visited us since that day. You have seen my references, I have more than 25! I didn’t even know they were references at first. Slowly I learned what and how Couchsurfing works. When people come here they say, oh you have a lot of references! “
- Do you think the internet changes the way people travel?
” Yes, there is more interaction, we keep in touch with people. They come to help us. The people come here are more travelers than tourists. They want a free stay, help with the children… Some of the people help with the homework. Now, children are more familiar with speaking English. Children can learn more about different cultures. They are so happy to teach back Nepalese language to the visitors. We can just… exchange.”
- How does the helping work?
” People don’t stay more than one week. Because of space, but now we have more space in that new place.
I don’t have the regular funding yet, I started it with my own money, and the help of friends and family. This year I quit my job as a teacher because it is very hard to manage the orphanage and go to school. My husband is also supporting me. It’s hard to find sponsors in Nepal.
Most people come from France and Spain. Often they are the travelers that travel for one or two years and have to minimize their costs. Basically, when people come here they collect funding fundings from friend and family and give it to me. They advertise sometimes and play different games with the children.
“A lot of Nepalese people come here to celebrate their birthdays. Give them cake, fruits and donate food stocks.”
- What about the children?
“At first when they come here they don’t have an education. They are very dirty, scratched, and allergic reaction from playing with stray dogs. When they come here they have trouble eating because they are not used to a proper meal.
Some of them come off the streets, an organization tries to find their parents and when they can’t they contact me. The youngest was 4 years old, begging in the streets. His mother was mentally ill and got raped, that’s how she was pregnant with the boy.
It takes some time for them to become sociable. but now they are all brothers and sisters. I consider all of them as my children.
Travelers are very nice, very good for the children, and very happy.”
Joining A family…
When a traveler comes into their lives: He is directly considered as a “brother” or “didi” (a sister). He is not just any random helper but a member of a beautiful family…
The main objective pursued by every orphanage is to re-create a lost home for those forgotten by the lucky stars. All these poor children out there, deprived by a twisted side of Faith, from the warm embrace of a parent, and the safe familial foundations on which a person is asked to build a life. Thanks to social workers initiative, and their active use of the network, each lost traveler can now contribute to their needs.
Every society Humanity has created, dictates to those placed under the blessing of Destiny, to redistribute to others she has forgotten. How beautiful is it, that today’s technologies offer us no more excuses to stay passive regarding the broken and impoverished? Forces us to face the facts, and gives us the opportunity to react.
So, now you know. And next time, maybe, it could be you changing the course of your holidays, and at the same time, someone’s life…
