Annapurna: Nepalese trekker route at risk from push for richer tourists

One of the world's classic mountain trekking routes is at risk of obliteration from plans to bring golf and skiing package tourism to the Himalayas.
Tourism chiefs in Nepal are keen to replace the stereotypical "trekker on a shoestring" with credit-card tourists seeking adventure holidays, including activities such as heli-skiing and paragliding.
The development will mean that the Annapurna circuit, which opened to backpackers in 1977, will be overwhelmed by a new road running through the heart of the Himalayas. Buses, taxis, motorbikes and tractors will ply the route connecting the mountain resort of Manang - currently reachable by footpath or air - to Nepal's national transport network.
Wildlife and plants will be destroyed and scores of porters and guides could lose their livelihoods, officials concede.
Aditya Baral, Nepal's senior foreign affairs adviser, said: "After the construction of the road ... the number of trekkers will be reduced. We have a trade-off here between economic development and infrastructure and the effect on tourism and the environment. We need to create alternative attractions to just trekking."

more http://www.travelforlife.ru/p122/l625/index.html