Stephan Marchal, founder of Himalayan Ecotourism, has been working in the field of social welfare and sustainability for twenty years. We talk to the orophile about his social enterprise in Himachal Pradesh, the kind of projects he has been up to, and why conservation is of the essence. By Rashima Nagpal
T+L India: What led to the inception of Himalayan Ecotourism?
Stephan Marchal: To understand the inception of Himalayan Ecotourism, we need to understand how the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh was created. In 2000, the creation of the national park triggered a conflict between the national park administration and the local community, because locals were no longer allowed to enter this huge protected area. They used to go there for fuelwood, grazing their animals, collection of medicinal plants, etcetera. It was a consistent part of their livelihood. As an alternative, the administration envisioned ecotourism as a source of income for the villagers. They trusted local businessmen to implement a plan for ecotourism, primarily trekking in GNHP. Unfortunately, the local businessmen misused the opportunity for their own interest and forgot the real purpose, which was to provide the local community with revenue and compensate for their loss. That is when we came in the picture. I settled myself in Tirthan Valley and interacted with everyone here. It took almost two years for me to understand the situation. Soon, I understood that tourism was not a viable source of income for the locals. So, I suggested the staff (the locals working in the GNHP tourism department) that we have a discussion on how I could improve the situation for them. We had several meetings. I would try to build their confidence and let them know that if associated with each other, they will be much stronger and will be able to defend their rights and set the rules for the business in the field of trekking. But a local operator with a monopolistic situation was a problem; he threatened those ready to join a cooperative society that they would be deprived of work. Ultimately, when the society was registered in 2014, the members stopped getting work. So, they came to me and questioned everything. To address that problem, I committed myself to marketing and provide clients to the cooperative society. This is how Himalayan Ecotourism started.
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T+L India: Why did you choose to work in the Himalayas?
Stephan Marchal: In 2003, I was appointed in India to work with an NGO on some research on forest management and water management in a tribal area of Jharkhand. Then I started my own NGO, and I ran a programme to handle the prosperity and the well-being of the villagers as an ultimate goal to preserve the beautiful way of life of the tribals, the way they live in harmony with the natural environment, dealing with natural resources. But I learnt that the NGO sector in India is a problem somehow because of the financial difficulties attached to it. I had to close the chapter in Jharkhand. As a mountain lover, I had the dream to move to the Himalayas one day. When I did, I decided to work with exactly the same objectives, but not in a non-profit manner. I decided to run a business in a way that would be good for my neighbours [too]. My ultimate goal is to promote sustainability. I’ve been travelling to my native country, Belgium, from time to time. But mostly I’m in India.
T+L India: What are the kind of activities/projects that your organisation is involved in?
Stephan Marchal: As soon as we make a profit, we dedicate a part of it to run certain projects for the community and for conservation. Himalayan Ecotourism follows a unique model of social enterprising. I’m not offering permanent employment and fixed salary to 65 members of the society, so they still earn their income based on the number of days they work in the National Park. But they grow with the company because they are old shareholders, which means that these locals are also owners of the company, and that makes a huge difference. We have for three years done a lot of research and development to further development of clean stove and solar power. Communities we have launched a very interesting initiative called Stop Forest Fire, where we address the problem of intentional forest fires in the Himalayas. In 2019, we have been awarded by the Indian Responsible Tourism Award that has brought a very, very fresh perspective in the eyes of the cooperative’s members because they have been dealing with so many obstacles and opposition from within the local ecosystem. We also work for women empowerment. It is a bit challenging because in doing so we are in opposition with an aspect of the local culture that very much tends to keep the women at home and not engage in any economic activities. We also ran an education project mostly during the pandemic; we opened two schools. The classes would take place outdoors so that you know there was no problem of social distancing. But now, since the government schools have reopened, we are rethinking the education project and are in preparation of creating a child development centre in Gushaini.
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T+L India: How can travellers participate in eco-friendly initiatives with Himalayan Ecotourism?
Stephan Marchal: By nature, the kind of activities we organise [for travellers] are very eco-friendly—it’s mostly trekking and camping. The purpose is to be in the middle of nature, to observe wildlife, and to enjoy the landscape and ecosystem of the Himalayas, especially in the unique GHNP. We provide our travellers with trash bags and they are requested to bring the trash back. Our naturalist guides educate them about the biodiversity, the wildlife of the national park, and that in itself is a beautiful interaction where you develop knowledge and respect for the environment. Last year, we had a [voluntourism] programme called teach and travel; people came to help us teach in the schools we ran during the lockdowns. We also have people who come to volunteer as social media managers, with digital marketing, articles, and things like that.
T+L India: At a time when greenwashing has become a trend, how do you distinguish your organisation as genuinely eco-conscious?
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Stephan Marchal: We document what we do. You can go through our YouTube channel. You will see interviews, the cooperative members, the women working with us, the members planting trees and taking care of nurseries… It’s very unfortunate that there is no certification or regulation [to verify] and anybody can claim that they’re responsible and sustainable. Recently, we got an award from Germany (the To Do Award 2022 for Socially Responsible Tourism); an inspector came and stayed with us for 15 days to verify that we’re genuine. With this kind of an award, people can confidently travel with us and know they’re being responsible.
Related: TL Conscious Travel List: 13 Sustainable Experiences & Destinations Around The World
Rashima Nagpal
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