Good news on the tourism front. The Tengboche Development Project in the Everest region, has just won the TO DO! 2001 award, announced on the occasion of the 36th International Tourism Exchange in Berlin.

Rather than just serving as a picturesque backdrop for tourists, the Tengboche Monastery, the spiritual centre of Sherpa culture, has played a proactive role in promoting sustainable tourism. The 1995 Tengboche Development Plan, initiated by the Tengboche Rinpoche (right) and Nepal-based architect and town planner Michael Schmitz, has actively promoted the monastery (at 4,000 m) and the habitat of the Sherpa people. The monastery is trying to attract 30,000 visitors annually, so the surrounding villages benefit, and has built the necessary tourism infrastructure such as toilets, drinking water facilities, hydropower-generated electricity, and a telephone connection. An eco-centre built in spring 2000 teaches visitors about Sherpa culture and sells locally-made souvenirs. The income generated here is used to train monks to spread the message in their communities of environmental protection and conservation.