Perceived Tourism Impact in the Kathmandu Valley: A study on the perspectives of local residents across three generations

Abstract

The Kathmandu Valley, a bowl-shaped region in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal and home to the nation’s capital, has undergone drastic transformations over the past century. Processes such as migration, urbanization, industrialization, and tourism have significantly shaped the valley’s landscape and society.

This study dives into the perceived impact of tourism and aims to address the empirical knowledge gap concerning local generational perspectives on the impact of tourism in the Kathmandu Valley. Focusing on three residing generations, it explores their perspectives on the sociocultural, economic, and environmental effects of tourism. Each generation has grown up in a different time period, from the hippie era in the ‘60s to today’s globalized world. Using a qualitative research design, in-depth interviews were conducted with local residents to capture a bottom-up view that centers the voices of both younger and older generations who have directly experienced these changes.

The results show that there are many sociocultural, economic, and environmental impacts. Tourism in Kathmandu brings both opportunity and challenge. And how generations perceive these impacts differs: the elderly mourn cultural loss and community decline; younger ones value growth and exchange. All note economic benefits but fear overdependence. Environmental concerns span generations, with calls for sustainable policies, cultural preservation, and a balance between tradition and modernization. Despite generational differences, there is a shared concern over some impacts, and there is a growing demand for more sustainable and inclusive tourism policies.

The study underscores the importance of incorporating generational perspectives into tourism and development planning. Understanding how the valley has changed over time, through the eyes of those who have lived it, is vital for crafting more effective and inclusive policies. Finally, the study offers recommendations for policy improvements, highlights the limitations of the current research, and outlines directions for future research.