How community tourism can be a driver for sustainable development: The case of Munlai
By: Farhana Shahnaz
Tags: Travel, Sustainability, Sdgs, Sustainable Development, Bangladesh

Imagine yourself in a tranquil village nested atop the majestic mountains. You are greeted with a hug of the warm sun and melody of the morning prayer. You take a walk along the village, the cold breeze bristling through your hair, watching people enjoying a hearty cup of tea, quaintly weaving intricate colourful blankets or just enjoying the heavenly ambiance like you are.

Lunch is served. You eat what the locals do. Simple home-cooked meal that lets the flavours of the ingredients shine and leaves you begging for more. The subtle olive flavour combined with the earthiness of the spices and garlic will linger on your tongue (and mind) for days. You can literally feel the freshness of the produces in your tongue.

You crave a rush of adrenaline. You take a swing at the zip line (the longest in the country) and let yourself go. You feel like you are on the top of the world, your feet brushing against the top of the lush canopy. To end the day you take a stroll into the unknown, getting lost into the calm of the wilderness, away from all the cacophony of the city. You end up at the bank of the mighty Shangu river and relax soaking your feet into the crystal clear water.

At night, you gaze at the starry clear sky devoid of the urban lights and think to yourself, what a wonderful world!

Would you choose this immersive experience over staying within the boundaries of a traditional resort which promises all the amenities but not an experience so unforgettable that you would sit down and write a blog about it?

The tourism scene of Bangladesh has seen emblematic shifts in recent times. There have been monumental shifts away from traditional and rather mundane options to more engaging and avant-garde alternatives. People are not just restricting themselves to the walls of a hotel or resort but now look for a more immersive experience.

Leveraging this shift, community tourism initiative has recently started to gain momentum in Bangladesh.

Community tourism is focused on involving local populations in a tourism development localized and developed to their benefit: they build and manage the accommodation structures, as well as the local services offered to tourists. Local populations have complete control over tourism generated revenue, a great part of the revenue being destined to improve life conditions of the community, giving special attention to the respect for nature and local population traditions. This tourism development form is often combined with production activities development, such as agricultural products transformation or handcraft workshops, whose products are primarily sold to tourists.

Recently I visited one such venture, Munlai. Munlai is a holistic, inclusive and sustainable community-based tourism venture and the first ever community tourism initiative of the country with the core philosophy to restore, develop, and sustain the ethnic Bawm community, its culture and heritage. It initiated with the idea of developing a community tourism model where every member of the community will be positively affected. According to them, they operate with limited impact on the environment, work on raising awareness and ensure that all their service is provided by the local community.

Nestled amongst majestic hills and the Sangu river, in a tranquil neighborhood of 54 Bawm household, you can experience the exquisite lifestyle of the Bawm community through homestay and culinary expedition of the wonderful ethnic flavours. Munlai makes the lifestyle of the Bawm community as much a part of the experience as their other offerings. You can get up close and personal with them, enjoy a conversation and develop a true appreciation of their simple and unadulterated lifestyle and culture. At Munlai you can live like the Bawms do but not at the cost of hygiene and comfort. The homestay offers an opportunity to experience comfort and hygiene wrapped in indigenous tradition.

Munlai is economically, ethically and socially equitable for the Bawm community. By integrating the natural, cultural and human environment it has developed a nexus, respecting the fragile equilibrium that is characteristic to tourism destinations. Munlai seemingly contributes to SDG 8, 10, 11, and 12. Munlai has generated decent work opportunities in tourism, particularly for youth and women, engaging them in weaving display, hospitality and other activities. Munlai, from my personal experience, operates such that it leaves minimal carbon footprint and conserved the integrity of the Bawm community.

Munlai is the trailblazer for community tourism in Bangladesh and I am really looking forward to seeing more of such initiatives that marry both sustainability and adventure — and beautifully so.