Skift Take
It seems far-fetched that a tiny village in Nepal that depends on elephant-back safaris could one day be a million-dollar profit attraction. If this initiative works, it’s a great day for tourism communities.
An initiative to turn a poor village in Nepal into a high-end destination, if successful, will shine a light not only on how the future of elephant tourism can be, but on the wider, never-ending quest of how best to spread tourism dollars to remote communities.
The vision is to transform Sauraha, a village near Chitwan National Park, into a “very profitable” and “preeminent” observation-only elephant attraction. It will boast fine accommodations and experiences, such as treetop walks, watching elephants in their full lifecycle, and jeep safaris into Chitwan National Park, a preserved area in south-central Nepal that is home to one-horned rhinos and Bengal tigers.
World Animal Protection, with funding from Australia’s Intrepid Group and The Intrepid Foundation, has completed a business plan. It projects an investment of less than $5 million for a two-year transition from elephant riding to a no-touching model at Sauraha, according to a document obtained by Skift. Expected returns may seem overly optimistic
