Meet the HAL Grantee 2025: Studying Parsa National Park’s Ecotourism Potential

About the Himalayan Adventure Labs Grant

Since 2022, Himalayan Adventure Labs has awarded an annual research grant to one undergraduate student working at the intersection of conservation, tourism development, and rural economy in Nepal. The grant funds fieldwork that would otherwise be out of reach — bringing academic research closer to the communities and landscapes that need it most. Learn more about the HAL Grant on our website.

This year’s grantee is Subham Koirala, a Bachelor in Development Studies student at National College, Kathmandu University. We sat down with Subham to talk about his research on ecotourism in Parsa National Park — one of Nepal’s most overlooked protected areas.

Why Parsa, When Everyone Goes to Chitwan?

Most researchers and travelers gravitate toward Nepal’s flagship protected areas — Chitwan National Park, Bardia, Annapurna. Subham took a different path. Growing up partly in Birgunj, in the Parsa district, he often found himself wondering why the national park on his doorstep remained so unexplored. That curiosity became the foundation of his Bachelor’s thesis in Development Studies.

“It’s the protected areas like Chitwan or Annapurna that get all the attention,” he says. “As a development studies student and someone fascinated by tourism, I kept asking: why is Parsa being left behind, and what needs to change for it to flourish?”

The answer, he discovered, is complicated — and worth telling.

A Personal Encounter That Changed Everything

The turning point came during a field visit to the Suwarnapur area and its Sunakhari Buffer Zone. There, Subham found 15 functioning Tamang homestays, supported by World Wildlife Fund(WWF), sitting largely empty of foreign visitors. The homestay chairperson told him plainly: “There is no contact with foreign people — only locals and a small number of Indians.”

That conversation crystallised everything. Here was a community with genuine hospitality, cultural richness, traditional Tamang dances, organic local cuisine, and even a rare white monastery tucked into the terai landscape — all going unseen.

What Does Successful Ecotourism Actually Look Like?

Drawing on the International Ecotourism Society‘s framework of responsible travel, Subham defines success not in visitor numbers, but in community outcomes. A successful ecotourism model for Parsa, he argues, is one where local people are directly employed, involved in decision-making, and able to build small enterprises — where conservation and community well-being reinforce each other rather than compete.

“Successful ecotourism looks like jeep safaris that are actually full,” he says, referencing a safari operation in Suwarnapur that sits ready but idle for lack of visitors. It also looks like international universities sending researchers to study Parsa’s wild flora and fauna — because published research, he notes, is itself a form of promotion.

The Corridor Nobody Talks About

One of the most striking findings in Subham’s research is Parsa’s ecological significance, which remains almost entirely unknown to the general public. Parsa National Park forms a critical wildlife corridor connecting Chitwan National Park in Nepal with the Valmiki Tiger Reserve across the border in India. Tigers, elephants, and rhinos move through this corridor — making careful tourism management not just preferable, but essential.

“The corridor status restricts mass tourism,” he explains, “but it opens real opportunities for nature-based and educational ecotourism.” Bird watching, guided nature walks, conservation education programmes, and wildlife observation are all well-suited to this environment. Heavy footfall, on the other hand, risks disrupting the very animal migration that makes the park remarkable.

With over 500 recorded bird species — including the rare Giant Hornbill — Parsa has genuine potential as a world-class destination for birding specialists, wildlife photographers, and researchers. Subham suggests that a dedicated birding festival, similar to the elephant festival that draws visitors to Chitwan, could be a powerful way to put Parsa on the map.

The Tamang Homestay Experience

For travellers who have already done Chitwan or Bardia, Suwarnapur offers something genuinely different. The Tamang homestays there are not simply budget accommodation — they are cultural immersions. Traditional dances, locally grown food, old-style architecture, and the warmth of community hospitality create an experience that no hotel can replicate.

“The warmth the homestays provide is unexplainable,” Subham says, recalling his own stay. “Even people who don’t stay there feel it.” A community cultural centre, or culture bhawan, adds another layer — a dedicated space for showcasing Tamang heritage to visitors.

Beyond the cultural experience, homestay and guiding income offers families something farming cannot: flexibility. Tourism earnings are not season-dependent in the same way that crops are. Even modest income from hosting guests can help a family manage everyday costs and absorb economic shocks.

The Human-Wildlife Question

One of the more nuanced threads in his research concerns human-wildlife conflict. Elephants and tigers that raid crops are not abstract conservation symbols to the people living around Parsa — they are a source of real economic loss and anxiety. Subham’s research attempts to measure whether participation in ecotourism can shift those attitudes over time.

Using household surveys and interviews, he is comparing the perceptions of families involved in ecotourism with those who are not — looking at tolerance for wildlife, willingness to support conservation, and feelings toward park management. The hypothesis is that when communities benefit economically from the park’s wildlife, they are less likely to view that wildlife as an adversary.

Where the Community Stands — and Where It Could Go

Applying Arnstein’s Ladder of Participation to the communities surrounding Parsa, Subham places them currently at the consultation or placation level. They are occasionally included in meetings, but rarely hold meaningful power over decisions, which tend to be made by government agencies or outside organisations.

His research aims to support a climb toward partnership and delegated power — where locals actively shape ecotourism planning, share equitably in its benefits, and develop genuine ownership over conservation outcomes.

How the Himalayan Adventure Labs Grant Made This Possible

Without the Himalayan Adventure Labs Grant, this depth of fieldwork would not have been possible. The funding enabled extended field trips to Parsa, household surveys across buffer zone communities, and meaningful engagement with park authorities and stakeholders including Zoological Society of London (ZSL), WWF, and National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC).

“To be honest, without the grant it would not have been possible to do such in-depth research,” Subham says. “This funding has improved the authenticity of the results.”

One Thing He Wants Policymakers to Do

If a single change came from his final report, Subham hopes it would be a renewed focus on community participation — supporting locals with training, helping families establish homestays, and actively promoting Parsa’s 500 bird species to position the park as a serious birding destination. The park has the assets. What it needs is visibility and investment in the people who call it home.

Advice for Young Nepali Researchers

Subham’s message to fellow students is grounded and practical: spend time in the field. Listen to local communities. Observe everyday realities. Theory gains meaning only when it is tested against actual circumstances.

“Be receptive, patient, and respectful of local knowledge,” he says. “Careful, modest, and honest research can have a significant impact.”