By opting to stay at a Himalayan Homestay, you help local people generate income from tourism activities in their area. This income helps in important ways:
It offsets and compensates livestock losses to snow leopards and other predators
It helps local people earn from wildlife tourism and increases their stake in conserving wildlife
It helps communities change their attitudes towards snow leopards from viewing them as pests to regarding them as valuable assets whose presence draws visitors and provides economic opportunities
It reduces human-wildlife conflict and promotes coexistence
It generates funds for communities to protect their mountain environment. These funds are created in a unique way: 10 percent of all homestays’ income goes into a ‘village conservation fund’, which is used by villagers for tree planting, garbage cleaning and maintenance of their cultural heritage such as mani walls, chortens and sacred juniper stands.
This fund inspired an incredible example of community conservation, where the Ulley and surrounding villages voluntarily freed 16 sq miles from livestock grazing for the betterment of traditional pastureland for the endangered Ladakh urial and Asiatic ibex.