Increased tourism activities results in reverse migration

With the increasing trends of tourism activities in the village, the people of Chitre village of Modi Rural Municipality in Parbat district, who had migrated to the nearby cities, have now returned to their place of origin.

Reverse migration for the locals is reported for setting up tourism business after the upward trend of domestic and foreign tourists visiting in Chitre in the recent days. Home stay business has lured more people to return to their own villages from the cities.

Nishan Gurung has returned to Chitre after quitting hotel business in the city of Pokhara and is planning to do business in his own village. He said he was planning to establish home stay in Chitre village.

"I have a target to make more money in the village than the city. There is a limited saving in city. Also, I can keep myself engaged in other works here," Gurung shared his motive to return to the village from Pokhara.

The local people in the village are getting excited thanks to better tourism activities of late. As high as 10 families have begun home stay service with better infrastructures in Chitre and are offering good services to the domestic and foreign tourists.

Chairperson of Rural Chitre Home Stay Tourism Development Committee Sushila Devi Gurung said that as high as 50 tourists arrive in the village on daily basis. But, the number could go up sometimes as the students from schools and colleges arrive in weekends from other districts.

Harka Man Gurung, who returned home from Kathmandu, said the tourism activities have created jovial environment in the village. "The climatic situation in the village is very good here. We can make sufficient income here even from normal jobs," Gurung added.

The village looks like a city due to arrival of tourists lately, he observed.

Min Bahadur Gurung, a Saudi Arabia returnee migrant, said he arrived home for tourism business and added that he has made good income from running home stay.

Situated at the height of 1,500 metres from the sea level, Chitre village popular is for Gurung cultures and warm hospitality and is rich in natural beauties and bio-diversity.

The village has a number of tourism products including folk cultures including Sorathi, Ghantu, folk songs, Rodhi and other traditional dances.

The concept of home stay has become instrumental both for income generation by bringing in tourists and promotion of local cultures and costumes, Madhu Sudan Adhikari, a local teacher said.