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Nepal unveils action plan for tourism revival

The Nepali government on Sunday announced a number of measures to revive the tourism industry battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, including a plan to declare the years between 2023 and 2033 as Visit Nepal Decade, Xinhua reported.

Unveiling the Tourism Rehabilitation Action Plan, Jeevan Ram Shrestha, Nepal’s minister for culture, tourism and civil aviation, said the government is breaking the tradition of announcing a single year as Visit Nepal Year so as to run a sustained campaign to promote tourism, a major foreign exchange earner and job creator for the country.

As per the action plan, the Visit Nepal Decade is expected to come out within the next three months.

The government plans to attract 1 million foreign tourists in the 2022-23 fiscal year which began in mid-July. “We have not yet set any target for the planned Visit Nepal Decade. We have to do further homework and consultations with the stakeholders,” Hom Prasad Luitel, joint secretary at the tourism ministry, told Xinhua.

Nepal received 1.19 million foreign visitors in 2019 and sought to attract 2 million in 2020 when Visit Nepal 2020 was launched, but COVID-19 forced the government to call off the campaign. As the pandemic persisted, the tourism sector fared poorly in 2020 and 2021.

Nepal was reporting more foreign visitor arrivals in 2022 as fewer people were infected. As of June, there were 237,670 foreigners visiting the South Asian country, according to the tourism ministry.

Under the new action plan, Nepal will launch promotion campaigns in China, India and Bangladesh, of them the former two being the largest sources of tourists for Nepal in normal years, Xinhua reported.

There is a plan as well to promote Nepal as a destination for meetings, conferences and exhibitions and spiritual tourism with packages of yoga, wellness and spa to be offered.

In addition, the ministry is mulling over retirement visas and healthcare facilities for elderly foreigners to stay longer in Nepal. Currently, there is no legal provision of issuing retirement visas in the country. “We will discuss it with the Ministry of Home Affairs which is responsible for visa issuance,” said Luitel.

As mountaineering is a key part of Nepal’s tourism, the country is planning to open more Himalayan peaks. Under the action plan, more peaks at 5,800 to 8,000 meters above the sea level will be opened for mountaineering. According to authorities, Nepal has so far opened 414 peaks above 5,700 meters for climbing.

Included in the action plan are other measures like cooperation and coordination with international airlines, GPS tracking system to make trekking and mountaineering safer, multi-lingual helpline support centers for tourists and many more facilities for foreigners who come to Nepal for movie shootings.

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Govt prepares nepal tourism decade strategic action plan.

Kathmandu: The government has prepared the ‘Nepal tourism decade (2023-2032) strategic action plan’ as part of the revival of the tourism sector.

The action plan has set a target to bring in 3.5 million foreign tourists till 2032 in the country as well as creating employments to one million more people in the tourism sector during the decade.

At a programme organised at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation to brief about plan, Tourism Minister Jeevan Ram Shrestha said the concept of tourism decade was brought for the revival of tourism sector which has been adversely affected by COVID pandemic. He expressed the belief that the action plan would help establish Nepal in the front of world tourism market. 

It has been targeted to ensure the arrival of tourists as that of 2019 and increasing tourists arrival by 15 per cent every year, added Minister Shrestha. 

The government has also set the goal to make tourism sectors’ contribution in country’s gross domestic product to 10 per cent. As per the action plan, province and national-level campaigns would be launched for tourism promotion across the country by making institutional strengthening, upgrading of infrastructures, investment and tourism promotion, diversification and revival of tourism.

The Tourism Minister further shared that they would move ahead by establishing a smooth coordination among three-level governments for effective implementation of tourism decade action plan.

It is necessary to move ahead by developing infrastructures and creating tourism-friendly environment to meet the target, he underscored.

As per the strategic plan, a thematic campaign of cultural heritage of Bagmati Province will be launched in 2024, while Gandaki Province will be in focus in 2025 and a nationwide campaign in 2026. Similarly, Buddhist tourism will be promoted in 2027, Madhesh tourism in 2028, and Sudurpaschim tourism in 2028. The tourism promotion will focus Province No 1 in 2030 and Karnali Province in 2031. Ultimately, in 2033, a nationwide tourism promotion will be enforced.

On Thursday, the Tourism Minister was submitted a report by a taskforce formed to prepare the roadmap of the strategic work plan. A five-member team was formed under the coordination of tourism expert Prachanda Man Shrestha to prepare the roadmap.

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tourism | history

The beginning of Nepal's tourism era

The first glimpses of an industry that is now central to the country’s economy.

Nepal's sovereign timeframe surpasses all other countries in the region. But, when it comes to the commercial inception of tourism, the nation is just 67-years-old. This sexagenarian tourism age started after the downfall of the familial Rana regime in 1951.

During the 104-year-old authoritarian family regime, Nepal was a hermit state, off-limits to the outside world. Average citizens were politically barred from connecting outside its borders.

Only the ruling elites enjoyed the privilege to tour the world and invite a few foreign folks of their choice to visit Nepal. Commercial tourism was not an idea of their liking until everything changed in 1951.

Death of Rana regime and the birth of tourism On 18 February 1951, the Rana regime formally collapsed, paving the way for the beginning of the commercial tourism era in the previously forbidden kingdom. In just about four years, in March of 1955, the first batch of international tourists arrived in Nepal. The group of all female tourists including Brazilians and Americans touched down at Gaucharan Airport (the erstwhile name of Tribhuvan International Airport) at 11 in the morning. They arrived on a two-engine Indian Airliner from India, cruising from their respective countries.

The tour, operated by Thomas Cook and Sons (founded in Britain, one of the oldest travel companies in the world), guided this batch around Kathmandu’s novelties; its sights and scenes, local dances and cuisine for a total of two days.

The historic arrival of the first tourists in Nepal was reported by the New York Times on 9 March 1955. The headline read, ''Tourism age comes to Nepal'' with the subline reading ''First organized group finds all the usual conveniences except souvenir cards.''

Writer A.M. Rosenthal wrote, ''At 11 am today, the tourist came to Nepal. It arrived, a bit wearily, in the form of ten United States and two Brazilian visitors to this centuries-hidden Hindu kingdom of the Himalayas.'' The news added, ''Only a handful of persons in Nepal were aware of this historic moment in the country's history but that handful was having pleasant thoughts when a two-engined Indian airliner touched down at the airstrip a few rocky miles from town.''

With a distinct Western perspective of Nepal's touristic impression and activities, the news further read, ''Kathmandu is as untouristy as any tourist would want. There are a few scores cars in town and even a half dozen traffic cops. But Kathmandu is still fifteenth-century. Using beasts for carrying burdens is considered irreligious. Loads are still carried in the approved manner, slung from a strap around a human head. Every valley has its temple and every temple has its offering outside. For the tourist - they will stay two days and another group will arrive Thursday - a Nepalese version of a nightclub show has been arranged, at 9 PM tomorrow the devil dancers will perform.''

This first arrival was not an easy task. The first hotelier in Nepal, Boris Lissanevtich, had to persuade the newly crowned King Mahendra for his royal nod of approval to move forward with his plans to fill his hotel. But Lissanevitch was not an average businessman. An exiled Russian ballet dancer turned restaurant pioneer, Lissanevitch shared a close friendship with King Tribhuvan after meeting him at Club 300, Boris’s exclusive club for Indian, British and foreign elites based in Calcutta. 

Leveraging this connection, Boris had established Nepal's first tourist-standard hotel named 'Royal Hotel' in 1955 at Kathmandu in collaboration with prince Bashundhara. The iconic 40-bed hotel was located in what stands today as the Election Commission Office in Kathmandu. 

It is considered that it was Boris’s constant efforts that led Nepal to issue tourist visas from 1955. Boris’s life is detailed in the biographical book of Boris titled 'Tiger for Breakfast' written by Michel Peissel in 1966. 

Annapurna and Everest: The giant catalysts of Nepal's tourism The towering peaks that border Nepal in the north are also the turbochargers of Nepal's tourism boom. Among which, Annapurna and Everest deserve special recognition.

During the premiership of Mohan Shumsher, the last Rana PM (1948-51), Nepal permitted a French expedition team to climb either Dhaulagiri or Annapurna. After an unsuccessful attempt at Dhaulagiri, the French team ascended the top of the Annapurna on 3 June 1950. In recorded human history, this was the first time for anyone to have scaled a mountain over 8,000 metres. 

The 8,091-metre Annapurna ascent put Nepal as the premier destination on the world adventure map. Even those who had never heard about Nepal got to know about the little-known nation.

The accounts of the Annapurna ascent authored by team leader Maurice Horzog titled 'Annapurna' sold 11 million copies by 2000, a report of New York Times show. France 24, a French news channel reported the iconic 'Annapurna' book was translated into 40 different languages across the world.

Within three years of the Annapurna success, Nepal-born Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Edmund Hillary summited Everest on 29 May 1953. 

Besides Annapurna and Everest, Nepal hosts six other world’s 10 tallest peaks (Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Manaslu, Dhauraligi) of world's top ten mountains. Nepal is, in fact, home to the largest number of mountains above 8,000m in the world — 14 mountains. 

These towering giants are the stewards of Nepal's brand in the world of tourism adventures while mountaineering became the greatest catalyst of Nepal's international tourism boom. Nepal’s status as a destination for tourism continues to rest upon the shoulders of the Himalayas. 

According to an analytical report on tourism , the tourism industry contribution to the national economy (GDP) was 6.7% in 2019 and 6.9% in the country’s employment. The Nepal Tourism Statistics 2019 shows that tourism generated foreign earnings of $724 million while earning Rs 568 million in royalty from mountaineering expedition alone. 

Nepal's lethargic march towards institutionalisation and data Nepal’s tourism sector shows poor track record in the institutionalisation and date maintenance. For example, Nepal only started counting its tourist arrival in 1964 (when 9,526 tourists arrived in Nepal). Nepal started to issue tourist visas from 1955 but began counting the number of tourist arrivals nearly a decade later. Interestingly, recording of the length of stay started in 1973.

In 1975, Nepal became a member of the World Tourism Organization whereas the tourism ministry was established in 1978. The Nepal Tourism Board was constituted two decades later in 1998 (which now produces annual tourism statistics).

As of now, Nepal has celebrated three ‘tourism year' campaigns in 1998, 2011 and 2020. However, the campaigns were hardly successful.

The Visit Year 1998 campaign with the slogan 'A World of Its Own' sought to enhance Nepal’s image as a special destination for international visitors but Nepal was marred in an armed conflict at the time.

The 2011 campaign had the slogan 'Together for Tourism' and aimed at attracting one million tourists to Nepal. Only 736,215 tourists arrived that year.

Nepal's latest visit year 2020 was scheduled with the tagline 'Nepal: Lifetime Experiences' and targeted two million tourists but was ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic with only 230,085 arriving during the year. 

Birat Anupam is a reporter at National News Agency of Nepal (RSS) and Nepal Press.

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Monday, 22 April 2024 06:22 PM

Over 600,000 foreigners visit Nepal in 2022 as tourism industry rebounds

Published On: January 4, 2023 12:48 PM NPT By: Sajira Shrestha

Arrival of tourists from US stands second after India

KATHMANDU, Jan 4: With the declining number of COVID-19 cases in Nepal, the tourism sector is slowly returning back on track. According to the data published by Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), more than 600,000 tourists visited Nepal in 2022 against 230,085 visitors in 2020. 

This shows that the arrival of tourists in 2022 is showing improvement after almost two years of slump due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tourism entrepreneurs are excited about the increasing number of tourists after the pandemic. Earlier, the hotel occupancy rate was almost nil except for a few guests. However, at present, hotels are seen occupied with domestic as well as international tourists. 

“The arrival of 600,000+ tourists in the year 2022 is encouraging for Nepali tourists. This also gives us an indication of how the arrival of international tourists will gradually increase in 2023 and in the coming years,” said Binayak Shah, the first vice president of the Hotel Association Nepal (HAN).

According to Shah, at present, every country is dependent on tourism, be it a developed or a developing country as it is one of the quickest ways for economic recovery in the post-pandemic period. 

“At present, most of the tourism destinations across the world are reeling under the problem due to a limited number of tourists. How a nation prepares for the development of their tourism sector plays a vital role,” Shah added.

According to the World Bank, the tourism sector contributes 6.7 percent to the gross domestic product (GDP), while its total impact was US$ 2.2 billion. In addition, in 2019, tourism supported over one million direct and indirect jobs, or 6.7 percent of total employment. Approximately 80 percent of these jobs are in the most remote and resource-constrained regions.   

Based on the number of tourists who visited Nepal, the largest number of tourists came from neighboring India. According to the statistics of NTB, more than 200,000 tourists from India entered Nepal in 2022 (January-December). Out of a total of 614,148 tourists who visited Nepal, 209,105 tourists entered Nepal from India alone. This is about 35 percent of the total visitors. The data includes the tourists via air route only.

Similarly, the United States ranks second in terms of tourist arrivals. More than 77,000 tourists entered Nepal in 2022 from the USA. This is 14 percent of the total number. The UK ranks third in terms of tourist arrival followed by Australia and Bangladesh. A total of 44,700 tourists visited Nepal from the UK, 26,800 from Australia, and 25,300 tourists from Bangladesh in 2022.

HAN’s First Vice President Shah said that the tourism sector is eagerly watching if the new government will implement the concept of Tourism Decade forwarded by the previous government.

“With the formation of a new government, political leaders at present are busy in power-sharing deals. The previous government has declared the Tourism Decade (2023-2032) for the promotion of tourism in the post-pandemic period. Thus, the major challenge here is to see whether the new government will be stable or not. Similarly, will the new government take ownership of the programs brought by the previous government also is the biggest question.”

Shah also mentioned that Nepal is in need of mega international events to promote tourism in the post-pandemic era. 

“We are ready to welcome tourists across the world at present. Therefore, Nepal needs mega events of international standard to show the world that we are ready to welcome them. Our first priority should be on how to promote Nepal in the international market.”

In 2022, Nepal saw the highest number of tourists visiting the country in the month of October followed by November and December. In October, 88,582 tourists visited Nepal while 72,653 tourists arrived here in November and 67,932 in December. However, in the beginning of 2022, tourism-related activities were not very encouraging. In January 2022, only 16,975 tourists arrived in Nepal followed by 19,766 tourists in February.

The previous government led by Sher Bahadur Deuba had prepared a strategic action plan with the concept of Nepal Tourism Decade 2023-2032 to revive the tourism sector of Nepal.

The action plan has set a target to bring in 3.5 million foreign tourists a year by 2032. It also aims to create employment opportunities for more than one million people in the tourism sector during the decade.

As per the action plan, province and national-level campaigns would be launched for tourism promotion across the country by upgrading infrastructures. There are also plans for massive investment and promotion of tourism in a bid to revive this sector.

The arrival of tourists, which has been sluggish in the past two years, is gradually returning to the rhythm since last year. Since the effects of the pandemic have been seen again in neighboring countries like India, China and South Korea for the past few weeks, questions have been raised about the possibility of its impact on Nepal's tourism and how the country will work to solve the problem. 

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2023 – 2033 As Visit Nepal Decade

The Government of Nepal has declared 2020 as the Tourism Year. However, the COVID-19 pandemic halted the plan. Two years of continuous lockdown badly affected the tourism industry of Nepal. Foreign Employment Remittance and the Tourism Industry are two major sources of National Income for Nepal. Those two years were probably the worst phase of the modern Nepalese tourism industry after the decade-long civil war. Lots of people lost their jobs. Countless teahouses, lodges, restaurants, and travel agencies shut down their operations. It was indeed a chaotic situation. All the plans for the Tourism Year went in vain. As part of the Government’s TOURISM REVIVAL PLAN , the Nepal Government has declared 2023 – 2033 as the VISIT NEPAL DECADE.

History of Tourism in Nepal

Nepal opened its door to the world during the 90s. The lack of proper transportation, accommodation, and food facilities delayed the progress of the Tourism industry. The type of tourists visiting Nepal were mainly Hippies. Therefore, this phase of Nepalese Tourism is also called the Hippies era. Marijuana, Cannabis, and Opium were legal. People traveled from across the globe as a drifter to this country.

As time passed by, Nepal’s political system too changed from a direct king’s rule to a multi-party democratic system.

VISIT NEPAL 98

The newly formed democratic government introduced the VISIT NEPAL 98 . Thus, started the formal tourism industry in Nepal. The campaign was a huge success. The major objectives of this campaign were to increase the level of products and services. For better Tourism, you need to have 4 A’s (Attractions, Accessibility, Accommodation & Catering, and Amenities). Attractions are ever present in Nepal. Therefore, VISIT NEPAL 98 aimed at upgrading the airports, eco-friendly travel measures/products, improving infrastructure, and achieving sustainable tourism.

Travelers from across the globe started to know about Nepal. The Tourism Sector was booming. Unfortunately, the Maoists-led Civil War started in Nepal.

After nearly 12 years, the Nepal Government again celebrated the Nepal Tourism Year 2011 . It was also a huge success. The campaign was aimed at doing proper marketing of the products and services of Nepal to the world. Nepal Tourism Board also started the slogan “ Naturally Nepal Once is not Enough” .

Nepal Tourism Year 2011

After lots of consultation and suggestions from Nepalese Tourism entrepreneurs, Nepal Government declared the NEPAL TOURISM YEAR 2011 campaign. The announcement reflects the recognition of Tourism as the major pillar of the Nepalese Economy. All the stakeholders vowed to upgrade the image of Nepal as the best holiday destination. The country is safe, affordable, and pleasant. The splendid Himalayas, multiethnic culture, diverse landscape, and vegetation remarkably prove the slogan of Nepalese Tourism “Naturally Nepal, Once is not Enough” .

For decades, the Tourism Industry of Nepal operated on an ad-hoc basis. Manual marketing changed into digital marketing. Lots of tourism academies are opened. People are starting to take serious note of hospitality and services. Therefore, to take the industry to the next level, the Nepal Government again declared the VISIT NEPAL 2020 plans. Ironically, the COVID-19 pandemic  hit hard . The plan got postponed.

VISIT NEPAL 2020 & COVID PANDEMIC

Since 24th March 2020, the nation went on complete lockdown. There were no international flights. The inbound tourists were null. Therefore, tourism activities came to a complete standstill. The nation suffered a huge loss in revenue. VISIT NEPAL 2020 plan got canceled. For two years, the nation didn’t have any substantial tourism activities.

2022 – Bringing the Hope

The year 2022 has seen lots of tourists arrive. In October 2022 alone Nepal welcomed 80 thousand travelers. As people often say that morning shows the day, the year 2023 looks promising. No wonder, Nepal Government is also looking to make it the most significant year in the field of Nepalese Tourism.

2023 – 2033 as VISIT NEPAL DECADE

In July 2022 Nepal Government announced 2023 – 2033 as the NEPAL TOURISM DECADE. Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Minister Jeevanram Shrestha announced the plan. The major reason behind the start of this campaign is to revive the Tourism industry of Nepal.

The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected the tourism business. To bring back tourism to its original state with further upgrades, the plan functions. The tourism revitalization plan announced various schemes.

The discount on annual license and registration fee for tourism business is the first action. It motivated travel operators to restart the closed business. Two new International Airports were built and one is already in operation. The Gautam Buddha International Airport has already started its operations. Moreover, the scheme includes making Nepal the foreign movies’ shooting destination.

Lots of mountains are open for peak climbing activities. Preparations have been made to initiate the night market and tourism in Kathmandu Valley. It includes the night walking tours in UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES of Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, and Kirtipur . Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRN) also combined hands with the government by initiating “ ONE NEPALI ONE FOREIGN FRIEND ”. Thus, the plan for the VISIT NEPAL DECADE is going in full swing. The Tourism business operators are feeling hopeful.

2023 – 2033 as VISIT NEPAL DECADE – Beneficial to both Tourism Operators and Tourists

The plan is surely the positive efforts made by the Government for the revival of the dying Nepalese Tourism industry. There are numerous discounts and concession plans. These policies will create the best platform for both operators and travelers. Operators can run their businesses hassle-free and travelers can also get the best travel deals.

As a tourism operator, Nepal High Trek & Expedition would like to request all travelers across the globe to utilize this phase. Book the trekking or tour in Nepal for 2023 and beyond. As there is a saying about the early bird catching the worm, you will surely get the outstanding package.

Lots of new mountains are opened for peak climbing. New trekking routes are opened. Moreover, the existing trails are also in line for the upgrade. Therefore, it is an ideal time for travelers to book a trip to Nepal.

Why you should travel to Nepal once a time in your life?

Nepal is a tiny country in the globe but it’s a peace of heaven. There are a lot of charming natural and multicultural elements that can be explored by travelers. Moreover, this country is called the Himalayan, and while 8 thousand high mountains with massive Himalayas. The country is the global trademark as well Everest is a major attraction of Nepal’s Tourism Sector. Probably, the Everest Base Camp trail is the world’s iconic and preferred adventure destination. Besides, numerous adventure destinations as well Annapurna region , Langtang region , Manaslu region , and many more.

Fellow travelers, help us successfully build sustainable tourism in Nepal. Let’s make 2023 – 2033 as VISIT NEPAL DECADE a grand success.

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New logo, slogan launched for tourism recovery

• NEPAL TIBET TOURS & TREKS

To convey the message that Nepali is open for business and is ready to welcome tourist in autumn, National Tourism Promotion Committee (NTPC) has unveiled a new promotional logo and slogan 'NEPAL: BACK ON TOP OF THE WORLD'.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony organized in Kathmandu on Monday, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Kripasur Sherpa said tourist flow has increased drastically after the earthquake. "Despite the reduction in number of tourists, we are committed to revive the tourism industry. We are sure that this logo and slogan will again take Nepal to the top of the world," he added.

Tourism stakeholders are working hard to recover tourism industry in the aftermath of the earthquake with build back better approach. Most of Nepal's cultural monuments, trekking and mountaineering trails, and tourist attractions are up and running and waiting to welcome visitors.

The new logo and slogan are a part of a concerted effort to revive the tourism industry and send the message to the world that life in Nepal is back to normal, according to NTPC.

Ramesh Kumar Adhikari, member secretary of NTPC working committee, said that the slogan will help inspire people to visit Nepal. "We are hopeful that the logo will help in promotion of tourism in local as well as global market and bring back the tourism industry in the same situation as it was before the earthquake," Adhikari told Republica.

NTPC has also been carrying out promotional programs outside the country for tourism recovery. Recently it carried out promotion program in Malaysia and Thailand.

According to NTPC Secretariat, it has proposed a budget of Rs 600 million in the current fiscal year for the recovery of tourism. It has already submitted budget proposal to the Ministry of Finance.

NTPC has focused mainly on marketing and promotional campaigns in India, China, USA, UK, Japan, German, French and Italian speaking markets for the rapid revival of tourism industry.

The Post-disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report has estimated that tourism business will go down by 40 percent in the next 12 months and 20 percent in next 24 months. However, tourism entrepreneurs are hopeful that the launching of new logo and slogan will help in rapid recovery.

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Five must-know tourism facts of Nepal

• 27 Sep, 2021

By Birat Anupam , Itahari, September 27: Today, the entire world is in the festive mood of World Tourism Day 2021. The slogan for this years' celebration is 'Tourism for Inclusive Growth'. World Tourism Day celebration began in 1980.

September 27 is chosen to commemorate the day of the statutes of the World Tourism Organization of 1970, the United Nations Organizations responsible for the tourism sector.    

UNWTO was established on 1 November 1975. In the same year, Nepal got its membership making it one of the founding states of UNWTO. Headquartered in Madrid of Spain, UNWTO is Nepal's UN partner for tourism activities.    

Before talking about, Nepal's tourism world, it is required to know some important facts and figures of it. Here are some of them.    

1 Nepal's tourism history is associated with Himalayan adventures

In the early days of the 1950s, Nepal started to issue climbing permits to foreign adventures to scale Nepal's unclimbed tallest peaks on the planet. During the Premiership of last Rana Prime Minister Mohan Shumsher, Nepal permitted the French team to scale either Dhaulagiri or Annapurna.

The French team led by Maurice Herzog scaled Mt. Annapurna, the tenth tallest peak on the planet and the first one among the eight thousand plus meters of height, on 3 June 1950. Two historic climbing partners were Herzog and his friend Louis Lachenal.    

Sherpa Sirdar Ang Tharkay helped them make this historic human record on the Himalayas. That dawned the development of Nepal's tourism. According to a report by New York Times, the Annapurna ascent book authored by Herzog titled 'Annapurna' was sold 11 million copies until 2000.

According to a report by France24, a French Government-run media outlet, Annapurna was translated into 40 languages. The book was also listed among 100 adventure books of all time by National Geographic Magazine. This worked as catalysts to brand and expand Nepal's international glamour.    

After the historic summit on Everest on 29 May 1953 by Nepal's Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Edmund Hillary, it got further global attention paving the way for Nepal's rapid tourism promotion all around the world.    

2. Arrival of passport-carrying tourism began from 1955     

Despite the early entry of adventure tourists in Nepal in the name of Himalayan expeditions, the first batch of passport-carrying tourists came only in 1955. The trip was managed by Kolkata-based Thomas Cook and Sons, the very famous travel agency. The visit was managed by Boris Lisanevich, the first tourism entrepreneur in Nepal who had established Nepal's first tourist class hotel named 'Royal Hotel' which was located at today's Election Commission office of Kathmandu.

Boris, a Ukrainian living in Kolkata of India, had befriended King Tribhuwan during his occasional visits to Kolkata, had established the 40-room iconic hotel in partnership with Basundhara, the son of Tribhuwan. A book on Boris titled 'Tiger for Breakfast' details this connection. Boris had persuaded newly crowned King Mahendra whose coronation ceremony was held on 2 May 1955. A group of elderly women were the first batch of passport-carrying tourists in Nepal. Boris had managed their stays, accommodations and travelling inside Nepal.    

3. Delay in maintaining tourism statistics and the arrival curve    

Nepal only started to make strong record-keeping of tourist arrival from 1964. No strong tourism statistics are available before 1964. In addition, about the length of stay, this was only recorded properly since 1973.    

The growth of tourists in Nepal is at a snail's pace. In 1964, the arrival digit was 9526. Nepal only reached the one million mark in 2018. That year, Nepal welcomed 1,173,072.    

The Year 2019 received the highest number of tourists in the tourism history of Nepal. 1,197,191 tourists made their footfalls in Nepal that year. The year 2020 is a very troubling year in the tourism history of Nepal as was the case all over the world owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, just 230,085 tourists arrived in Nepal, said Nepal Tourism Board. It was 80 per cent lesser than the previous year.         

4. Tourism authority was latecomer in Nepal's tourism world     

Nepal welcomed foreign tourists from the 1950s. It got UNWTO membership in 1975. The Ministry of Tourism was constituted after three years of UNWTO entry in 1978. Nepal Tourism Board was established in 1998. These dates speak volumes about Nepal's slow pace towards institutional development in Nepal's tourism world which hampered a lot in terms of legislation and strong regulation, research as well as record-keeping.    

5. The mixed stories of the Visit Nepal Year campaigns    

In the almost seven-decade-long tourism history of Nepal, there is three major global tourism promotion of Nepal. They were promoted in the name of Visit Nepal Year.    

The historic Visit Nepal Year was held in 1998. There were six major objectives of this pioneering tourism celebration. Which aimed to brand Nepal as the new tourism destination in the world and to increase stays in Nepal.

Visit Nepal 1998 slogan was: A World of Its Own. The year did not make a drastic difference in terms of arrival. Just 9.9 per cent growth was recorded compared to the previous year of 1997. In 1997 also, the growth rate was 7.2 per cent. In 1998, a total of 463,684 tourists came to Nepal. According to The Government-unveiled Nepal Tourism Statistics, in terms of stays, the average length of stay was increased from 10.49 days to 10.76 days.    

Nepal celebrated its second major Visit Nepal Year 2011 targeting one million tourist arrival. Tragically, only 736, 215 tourists came to Nepal. However, the average length of stay from the previous year was increased from 12.67 days to 13.12 days. The tourism growth was 22.1 per cent which was a little more compared to its previous year's growth rate of 18.2 per cent. The slogan of Visit Nepal Year 2011 was 'Together for Tourism'.    

The scheduled Visit Nepal 2020, with an aim to lure 2 million tourists, was ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite early optimism and the grand inauguration of Visit Nepal Year of 2020 with the tagline of 'Lifetime Experience', the overall arrival that year was just 230,085. 

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World Tourism Day to be celebrated on Sep 27

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has planned to organise programmes to celebrate 42nd World Tourism Day on September 27.

The ministry and the bodies concerned as well as the stakeholder organisations are preparing to mark the occasion physically this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic by following the health safety protocols.

The Ministry officials and the chiefs of bodies under it held a virtual meeting recently in that connection. Tourism Secretary Yadav Prasad Koirala chaired the meeting which held discussions on celebrating World Tourism Day in a grand manner. The WTD is being commemorated this year around the slogan of 'Tourism for Inclusive Growth. '

World Tourism Day, celebrated each year on 27 September, is the global observance day fostering awareness of tourism’s social, cultural, political, and economic value and the contribution that the sector can make towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. Senior Director of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), Hikmat Singh Aiyer said a formal programme would be organized at the NTB's auditorium. According to NTB data, more than 66 thousand tourists arrived in Nepal in the last eight months of 2021. The tourist arrivals in 2020 were only 230 thousand 85 for the whole year. It was one million 197 thousand 191 in 2019.

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Peak tourism in 2023

In 1950, French mountaineers Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal climbed Annapurna I, the first ever eight-thousander peak to be climbed.

The French team walked down to the Indian border, took a train to Raxaul, re-entered Nepal and trekked up to Kathmandu to be felicitated by Prime Minister Mohan Shamsher Rana.

After being closed to foreigners for centuries, Nepal opened up to the world for the first time. Three years later in 1953, Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary catapulted Nepal and the Himalaya into the global limelight.

But more than 70 years later, Nepal’s tourism sector has yet to take full advantage of the economic opportunities that the industry can provide for domestic job creation, production of local products and foreign exchange income.

That Nepal’s tourism has not lived up to its potential to become the backbone of the country’s economy while it grows exponentially in the rest of the world — including in other mountain countries — proves that there are a lot of missed opportunities.

Summing up summits

Visitors flock to Nepal for culture, wildlife and pilgrimage, but our unique selling points are the world’s highest mountains. Some 16% of tourists who visit Nepal come for trekking and climbing, and yet mountaineering opportunities have been woefully under-advertised.

In fact, when Mt Everest does get into the international media, it is either for the ‘traffic jams’ on the summit or as the mountain of garbage. Lately, it is for how global climate breakdown is melting its glaciers. Apart from eight out of the 14 eight-thousanders in the world which are in Nepal, there are 326 mountains above 5,500m that are open for climbing in the country.

Records show that in 1964, only 9,526 tourists entered Nepal, rising to 500,000 two decades later. But it took another 34 years for it to double and exceed 1 million in 2018.

In comparison, 40 million tourists visited the relatively more isolated Tibetan region of China in 2018. Even Bhutan, which is four times smaller than Nepal in area, and has only 700,000 population, has priced itself on the higher side and got 315,000 tourists. Cambodia welcomes more than 6 million tourists annually, promoting its main attraction: the Angkor Wat temple complex.

“2022 did not go as expected,” says Deepak Raj Joshi, former CEO of Nepal Tourism Board. “But 2023 can be much better because Nepal is a nature-based destination, has isolation-based activities – exactly what most people are looking for post-Covid.”

Read also:  Visit Nepal Again , Ashish Dakal

Nepal launched its Visit Nepal 2020 campaign just as Covid-19 struck. Nepal Airlines jets still have its logo on their fuselage, and it is a reminder of a failed drive. Tourism is beginning to pick up again after a two-year slump, but the prospects for 2023 are not so sure.

Even if the numbers pick up again, Nepal will not benefit as much as it should since it is selling itself too cheap. The tourist to Nepal spends an average of only $48 a day. Bhutan with its ‘high cost, low impact’ model, requires its tourists to spend $200-$250 per day in fees.

Despite the unique ‘product’ that Nepal has in its mountains, wildlife and heritage, the country is just not benefiting as it should from the tourism industry which now contributes less than 2% to the national economy.

In 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, income from the tourism sector was Rs60.8 billion, which made up only 4.6% of the country's total foreign exchange earnings.

Tourism’s contribution to Nepal’s hard currency income reached its peak way back in 1981, when it made up 36.8%, up from 30.2% in 1965.

At the time, Nepalis seeking to go abroad for work or studies benefited greatly from being able to exchange dollars for rupees before they left. Ironically, by the 1990s as more and more Nepalis pursued foreign employment their remittance replaced tourism as the major contributor to Nepal’s economy.

Now, money that Nepalis abroad send home makes up two-thirds of the country's total foreign exchange income, while tourism, exports, foreign investment and development assistance, combined, contribute only one-third. Taking the annual average from 2010-2020, the tourism sector on its own made up only 5.2% of Nepal’s foreign exchange reserves.

This is not to say that tourism has not contributed to the economies of localities within Nepal. The Khumbu region, for example has an annual per capita income more than five times higher than the national average. Trekking has transformed the economies of Langtang, Manang and Mustang, where locals previously depended almost entirely on agriculture or pastoralism.

Indeed, the trekking and mountaineering sectors employ more than 18,000 guides, 50,000 porters and other service providers. In 2018, more than 8,000 mountaineers paid over Rs680 million in climbing fees and created jobs for more than 1,700 Nepali high altitude guides, who are now also hired by expeditions on mountains abroad.

Before Covid, tourism was estimated to provide direct jobs for about 1 million Nepalis and indirectly benefit many more. But industry experts say that the potential for economic benefits should have been much higher.

Read also:  Peak climbing season in Nepal , Nepali Times

Climbing numbers

Tourism in Nepal has been impacted by major historical events in recent times: the decade-long insurgency from 1996-2006 and subsequent political instability hit arrivals hard. Mountaineers had just returned to Mt Everest after a deadly avalanche in 2014 at Base Camp killed 16, when the earthquake struck one year later.

It was only in 2018 that Nepal was finally able to exceed its target of bringing 1 million tourists, and planners aimed higher to double it with the 2020 campaign.

Nepal spent $2 million dollars in the run-up to the Visit Nepal 2020 campaign. Much of that money was wasted, most Nepalis who lost their jobs migrated overseas for work, many hospitality sector businesses closed down, and hotel projects were abandoned.

Nepal did reap benefits from free promotion by films about mountaineering, including Nims Purja’s 14 Peaks , on streaming services like Netflix, when people were locked down worldwide during Covid.

In 2021, as Nepal confronted a deadly second wave of the virus, foreign visitors dropped to 150,962. The biggest drop was in Chinese arrivals, who were starting to top the list of tourists.

But in 2022, pent-up demand and post-Covid rebound has meant that the numbers were beginning to climb again — when Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

The war has hit the incomes of source countries in Europe and Asia hard, and Nepal’s own economy has gone into a slump. At a time when tourism income could supplant depleted foreign exchange reserves and falling exports, the industry was again adversely affected.

But there was an uptick of arrivals in 2022. Numbers for January-November 2022 reached nearly 550,000, filling up hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara with most running at near-full occupancy during Dasain. Still, experts argue that Nepal has not been able to build enough of a portfolio in the world market as a tourist destination. Besides, the Kathmandu gateway is getting bad publicity from bloggers and influencers because of its chaos and air pollution.

“We have struggled to build a brand as a tourist country globally because of the lack of necessary tourism infrastructure inside the country,” says tourism entrepreneur Basanta Mishra. “This means our adventure tourism destinations are overshadowed by other global tourist attractions.”

Nepal has been diversifying its adventure tourism brand from just trekking and mountaineering to white water rafting, bungee jumping, paragliding, ziplines, canyoning and other sports. But sustaining adventure tourism will be a tall order in the absence of proper infrastructure or promotion in the global market.

“Nepal has never looked into its full potential as a tourism destination beyond the mountains,” says Suraj Vaidya who led the Visit Nepal 2020 campaign. “Even with mountain tourism, we have failed to look beyond EBC and ABC, when the far-western mountains have so much to offer."

"We have to also look beyond Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. We need to look at Nepal as more than a two-season destination,” adds Vaidya. "But at the same time, we need to be careful about how we choose to develop destinations with historic significance so that we preserve and maintain the heritage that is so inherently ours.”

The good news is that Nepal is seeing improvements in tourism infrastructure over the years, especially in the hospitality sector. In recent years, more than a dozen ‘star’ hotels as well as multinational hotel chains have opened up in Nepal, with more under construction. And although new international airports have opened in Pokhara and Bhairahawa, poor planning has meant that there is almost no prospect of international flights from there. Meanwhile, it can take up to 9 hours to drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara because of congestion and poor roads.

But above all, Nepal’s tourism sector has not been a priority for planners even though they have never tired of giving speeches about its potential for decades.

“Being the only European airline flying to Kathmandu, we hope to surpass 2022 figures,” says Serkan Basar, General Manager of Turkish Airlines Kathmandu. “Tourism Ministry and private sector should be in full cooperation for the betterment of the country as a tourist destination.”

Joshi agrees: “Tourism cannot develop in isolation. There needs to be multi-level coordination between tourism institutions, concerned ministries, as well as diplomatic missions across the world to effectively maximise our tourism potential.”

Should Nepal promote high-end tourism rather than just chase numbers of arrivals? There has been no discussion on carrying capacity for various trekking areas and mountaineering peaks.

Given its topography, location and culture, Nepal should be able to sell itself. Still, promotion has been sloppy, ad hoc and inadequate — especially to China and India which are already replacing arrivals from Europe and the Americas.

Says tourism analyst Rajiv Dahal: “Nepal’s policymakers do not yet understand that reviving the tourism sector is in the country’s best interest, and that tourism will not gain momentum unless its potential is fully explored.”

Read also:  Nepal’s airlines fly high despite turbulence , Nepali Times

With additional reporting by Shristi Karki

Shristi Karki

Shristi Karki is a correspondent with Nepali Times. She joined Nepali Times as an intern in 2020, becoming a part of the newsroom full-time after graduating from Kathmandu University School of Arts. Karki has reported on politics, current affairs, art and culture.

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• 19 January, 2024

20 Reasons to Visit Nepal in 2024

Nepal is finally fully open to visitors and travelers, after two uncertain and testing years. After two years of being at a standstill, the Government of Nepal is putting a special emphasis on encouraging travelers to visit Nepal in 2023, promoting it around the world as a destination for adventure, luxury, and everything in between. While any year is a good year to visit Nepal, here are 20 reasons to visit Nepal in 2024. So, what are you waiting for?

The UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Patan Durbar Square is one of Nepal’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Photo: Aleksandr Zykov/Flickr

Nepal is home to four UNESCO World Heritage sites. But, this number is misleading because one of these sites (the Kathmandu Valley ) includes seven monument zones. The full list of Nepal’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites is:

• Patan Durbar Square
• Swayambhunath
• Changunarayan
• Kathmandu Durbar Square
• Bhaktapur Durbar Square
• Pashupatinath
• Sagarmatha National Park
• Chitwan National Park

See pictures of each of these beautiful sites in the following article: Nepal’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Pictures

Sites on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

The temples of Panauti. Photo: Axel Drainville/Flickr

The UNESCO World Heritage Sites are not the only worthwhile heritage sites in the country. There are currently 15 sites in Nepal that are on  UNESCO’s tentative list . This means that although they’re not yet World Heritage Sites, they might be in the future. Learn more about these 15 sites in the following article: Why You Should Visit UNESCO’s Tentative World Heritage Sites in Nepal.

The Homestays

Tsenkyi, at the Tibetan Camp. Photo: Mariellen Ward

Travelers seeking a more homely experience than you can find in a hotel will love the network of women-run Community Homestay Network that Royal Mountain Travel has established around the country. You get to know local people, see how they really live and explore more rural and out-of-the-way communities that you might not otherwise find. Read more about the Community Homestays in these articles:

• A Grass Routes Tour of Nepal: Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Chitwan
• Cooking Up a Storm at the Patan Community Homestay
• Getting Local in Nepal’s Community Homestays
• A Perfect Break from the City at Panauti Community Homestay
• A Weekend in Barauli Community Homestay
• An 8-Step Guide to Staying in a Homestay in Nepal
• 10 Reasons to Stay at a Homestay in Nepal

The Luxury Hotels

A room at the Hyatt Regency Kathmandu. Photo: Hyatt Regency Kathmandu

If you do want to stay somewhere more upmarket, there are plenty of wonderful options in Nepal. Most are concentrated in Kathmandu, Pokhara , and the Chitwan National Park, but beautiful boutique accommodation can also be found in smaller towns like Bandipur, Namo Buddha, and Nagarkot . Read more about them in these articles:

• Beautiful Boutique and Luxury Hotels in Nepal
• A Weekend in Boudhanath at the Hyatt Regency Hotel
• 7 Beautiful Sustainable Hotels in Nepal
• The Most Unique Hotels in Kathmandu

The Festivals

The Rato Machindranath chariot. Photo: Elen Turner

Nepal celebrates a wide range of Hindu and Buddhist holidays (as well as those of other minority religions, such as Islam and Christianity). Some are observed nationally, others just in certain areas, such as Kathmandu or the Terai . If you stick around in Nepal long enough you’ll definitely find a festival to join in with, and the locals always welcome travelers!

The Mountains

The Himalayan Range. Photo: wonker/Flickr

Nepal’s mountains don’t really need any introduction. They’re why most travelers come in the first place. Whether you’re planning to trek through them, see them from a sightseeing flight, or just admire them on the skyline, the Nepali Himalaya will not disappoint.

Rice fields in the hills of Nepal. Photo: Sharada Prasad CS/Flickr

Nepal isn’t only super-high mountains by any means, though. Before you get to the snow-capped rocky peaks you will encounter many green rolling hills that are mostly cultivated for crops–although the hills in Nepal can be higher than the mountains in most other countries!

The Plains (Terai)

A village on the Terai. Photo: OXLAEY.com/Flickr

The flat land bordering India is known as the Terai. The cities, towns, and villages here have a very different feel to those in the hills and mountains. Highlights of the Terai include the Chitwan and Bardia National Parks , Lumbini (birthplace of the Buddha), and Janakpur .

The Jungles

On a jungle walk in Chitwan. Photo: Steve Hicks/Flickr

Most people travel to the Terai for the jungle national parks and nature reserves. As well as the famous Chitwan National Park, there’s also the Bardia National Park in the far west, the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve in the east, as well as smaller pockets of jungle, animals, and birdlife. Read more about these here:

• Tiger Hunting in Bardiya 
• Tips for an Unforgettable Stay in Chitwan
• Jungle Walking in the Chitwan National Park
• Cycling Through the Villages of Chitwan

The Hindu Culture

Hindu sadhus at Pashupatinath in Kathmandu. Photo: Jean-Marie Hullot/Flickr

A majority of Nepalis–more than 80%–follow Hinduism. In fact, until it became a republic, Nepal was the only Hindu kingdom in the world. Hinduism can be seen throughout society, from big, grand temples like Pashupatinath to small family shrines in a corner of a home or courtyard. Plus, many of Nepal’s annual festivals are Hindu. There are many opportunities to learn about Hinduism in Nepal.

The Buddhist Culture

A Buddhist sand mandala. Photo: Wonderlane/Flickr

Despite Nepal being a predominantly Hindu country, Buddhists form a visible minority and makeup around 9% of the population. The two religions very much overlap in Nepal though, and elements of Hinduism and Buddhism enter the beliefs and practices of people from both groups. High up in the mountains (as well as in pockets of Kathmandu) you will encounter Tibetan Buddhism, especially among the Sherpa people and refugees who came directly from Tibet.

A traditional Newari meal. Photo: Sharada Prasad CS/Flickr

Anyone who tells you that Nepali food is just like Indian food has clearly not spent long in either country. Nepali food revolves around rice and curries of various sorts, but the ingredients, flavors, and preparation is quite different from Indian curry. Plus, there are Tibetan influences like momos and noodle soups, and spicy Newari cuisine. Learn more about the variety of Nepali food in these articles:

• Chiya Khayo? Traditional Nepali Tea and Snacks
• Yomari, a Nepali Food for the Gods
• Must-Try Food While in Nepal

The Shopping

Shops in Patan Durbar Square. Photo: waterwin/Flickr

Whether you’re looking for yak wool shawls or Nepali tea, topographical maps of the mountains, or outdoor clothing, you can find it in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Fairtrade shops such as Sana Hastakala and Dhukuti are particularly great places to shop for handicrafts, while at Timro Conceptstore, the Local Project, and Of Silk & Salt you can find modern designs.

The Animals

A monkey at Swayambhunath Temple, Kathmandu. Photo: Stig Berge/Flickr

Nepali wildlife isn’t just restricted to the jungle. All around Kathmandu–but especially at Swayambhunath, otherwise known as the monkey temple–you can see cheeky monkeys. Just keep your food (and children) away from them. The mountains also have a wonderful array of wildlife: while you probably won’t spot a snow leopard, you may see Nepal’s national bird, the danphe, and you’ll definitely see a few yaks! Read the following article for a fuller list: Wildlife in the Himalayas You Might See. 

The National Parks

The Langtang National Park. Photo: Jonny/Flickr

Large areas of Nepal are protected as national parks, from the jungles of the Terai to the high Himalayas. Some are remote and can only be reached by trekking–such as the Sagarmatha National Park–whereas others are very accessible from Kathmandu–such as the Shivapuri-Nagarjung National Park. Travelers need permits to enter them or to trek in them.

The Museums

The Patan Museum. Photo: mebrett/Flickr

Nepal may not be on par with Paris or New York when it comes to its museums, but there are a number of lovely places in Kathmandu and Pokhara that you shouldn’t miss. The Patan Museum is the most spectacular and provides a thorough introduction to the culture and architecture of the Kathmandu Valley. Other places worth checking out are the Taragaon Museum at the Hyatt Regency in Boudha and the International Mountain Museum in Pokhara.

The Adventure Sports

Paragliding above Pokhara. Photo: Vera & Jean-Christophe/Flickr

As well as trekking, travelers can do all kinds of other outdoor adventure sports in Nepal: paragliding , zip-lining, white-water rafting , white-water kayaking, canyoning, high ropes courses, trail running , mountain biking , rock climbing, motorbiking, microlite flying… However you choose to get your adrenaline rush, you can do it in Nepal.

The Sunrises and Sunsets

Sunset at Gosaikunda. Photo: Drouyn Cambridge/Flickr

There’s nothing quite like seeing the sun rise or set behind the tallest mountains on earth. Popular places to see the sun at either end of the day include Nagarkot and Namo Buddha from Kathmandu, or Sarangkot and the World Peace Pagoda from Pokhara. If you’re trekking in the mountains, it’s highly recommended that you wake up early to see the sunrise.

The History

Ancient ruins in Mustang. Photo: Jean-Marie Hullot/Flickr

Centuries and centuries of human and natural history are evident wherever you go in Nepal. Medieval temples in Kathmandu, archaeological sites from the time of the Buddha on the Terai, undated cave dwellings in Mustang, fossilized sea creatures lying amid the stones at 3,000 meters in Mustang … It would be hard to learn about Nepal’s millennia of history in a single trip, but browse the bookstores of Kathmandu and pick up something interesting to accompany you on your travels.

A Nepali woman. Photo: Sharada Prasad CS/Flickr

Many people say that you come to Nepal for the mountains, and return for the people. Let us know how it goes for you in 2023.

Top image: neijls/Flickr

Tags: Nepal 2023 travel nepal visit nepal visit nepal 2022 visit nepal 2023 visit nepal 2024

• Ramesh Basnet
• 18 August 2019 | 01:16

The country is also the birthplace of BUDDHA!

The country of Highest Peak Mt. Everest (Sagarmatha) in Nepali language.

Rich and unique in biological and cultural diversity.

• Sangam Gaha
• 16 July 2019 | 12:45

Visit Nepal 2020 | Major Attractions for Tourists -Trekking amidst forest in stone-paved trails. -White water rafting. -Different attractions of Pokhara like Davis Fall, sunrise view from Sarangkot, seven beautiful lakes, Peace pagoda and various caves. -One-day tour inside Kathmandu valley. -Hiking to different places around valley like Nagarkot, Dhulikhel, Kakani. -Rare Royal Bengal Tiger and One-horned Rhinoceros. -Taste Nepali cuisine and experience nepali culture.

• 15 July 2019 | 10:34

Very nice information .

• 12 May 2019 | 10:13

All these 20 reasons are key reasons for Nepal to choose as perfect destination to explore.

• Klaus Hessenauer
• 6 May 2019 | 05:31

I hope it will be my 20 th visit to Nepal in 2020 !

Since 1997 almost every Year! for all german reading people i have written down all my experiances and adventures in Nepal. Not only the most popular routes but also silent paths, breathtaking landscapes, rich culture and unbelievable friendly poeple . . .

“Unter Gebetsfahnen Trekking und Reiseerlebnisse in Nepal” Der etwas andere reiseführer, vielleicht ein Reiseverführer. Überall wo es Bücher gibt auch als e.book

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ISSUE 8 | 2024

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Uml manifesto to bring 2.5 million tourists.

By releasing the party’s election manifesto for the upcoming elections, UML has taken a policy to increase the number of tourists to 2.5 million annually. UML, which plans to develop Nepal as an attractive international tourist destination, has mentioned in the manifesto that it will conduct tourism promotion programs in the world market.

With the slogan ‘Tourism and Culture: Improvement of the Nation’, UML plans to build and improve the infrastructure of tourism to increase the length of stay of tourists and increase the cost of tourism by promoting tourist destinations.

Tourism services will be expanded. The Nepali diplomatic mission will be mobilized for tourism promotion and necessary arrangements will be made including the establishment of a university for higher studies related to tourism and the preparation of necessary manpower, the manifesto said.

UML’s policy is to identify, promote, develop and protect tourism in the categories of natural, environmental, adventure, health services, religious, cultural, agricultural, and entertainment, in addition to leveling programs focused on trekking, mountain climbing, and homestay.

Likewise, there is a plan to speed up the development and expansion of the service industry and make the construction of tourism infrastructure including hotels, restaurants, and air services dynamic.

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USAID and Nepal Tourism Board Launch the 2024 International Tourism Campaign

Editor: Khim Ghale [email protected] www.highlightstourism.com is dedicated to promoting tourism activities in Nepal. We produce video documentaries, feature articles, blogs, and guides related to the Nepali tourism destination, heritage, culture, and society.

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Nepal tourism board targets 1 million tourists in 2023

Post Report

Nepal Tourism Board, the country's tourism promotional body, on Saturday said it has targeted to host at least 1 million visitors in 2023, largely by attracting visitors from Asia.

“After two years of stagnation because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the industry is in a revival phase ,” said Dhananjay Regmi, chief executive officer of the board, speaking at a programme to mark the 24th anniversary of the board.

“We will focus on attracting more visitors from Southeast Asia and the Middle East this year by launching more promotional campaigns in these regions.”

The tourism industry is the fourth largest employer in the country, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics.

Nepal received 230,085 and 150,962 tourists in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

546,216 tourists came to Nepal as of November 2022, according to the Department of Immigration. The arrival numbers are expected to reach 600,000 in 2022.

"We would have received more visitors if the Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa had succeeded in attracting more airlines," Regmi added.

Nepal opened its second international airport in the southern city of Bhairahawa in May 2022. The modern facility is the gateway to the pilgrimage site of Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha.

The country's third international airport is scheduled to be inaugurated in Pokhara on Sunday.

“We have now experienced that a lavish inauguration ceremony does not guarantee the regular operation of the airport,” said Regmi. “We have to be careful to ensure that the new international airport in Pokhara will not share the same fate as that in Bhairahawa.”

Bhairahawa airport needs to be promoted as a gateway not only to Lumbini but to the entire western and far-western part of the country, Regmi added. “The role of the private sector is significant to attract more visitors and make the most of the international airports.”

Chandra Prasad Rijal, vice chairman of the Nepal Tourism Board, said the tourism board has not been able to work effectively to attract tourists.

“The political leadership has been ignorant towards the tourism sector,” Rijal argued.

Shreejana Rana, president of the Hotel Association of Nepal, said Nepal Tourism Board has contributed a lot to promotion efforts.

“We should not start taking things for granted,” said Rana. “The need of the hour is to make the existing public-private partnership in tourism promotion even more effective.”

Tourism Secretary Suresh Adhikari said that there is a need to expand Nepal's tourist destinations.

“We can promote cultural and sports tourism targeting regional visitors,” Adhikari said. “However, insufficient budget and poor infrastructure have been barriers to the growth of Nepal’s tourism industry.”

“Private sector investment is a must for tourism development and we need to work on it.”

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Tourism slogan of Nepal

Tourism slogan of Nepal: N/A .

Nepal National symbols

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What is Nepal known for?

Nepal is known for the Mount Everest, the highest mountain peak in the world

Where is Nepal located?

Neighbours of Nepal

Questions & Answers about Nepal

• Who is the national founder of Nepal?
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Canary Islands 'welcomes' British holidaymakers despite anti-tourism protests

T he Canary Islands tourism minister has urged British holidaymakers not to cancel their holidays ahead of anti-tourism protests planned by locals across the archipelago this Saturday.

Locals have been speaking out against excessive levels of tourism which they claim is causing overcrowding and high rental prices.

Rallying under the slogan "The Canaries have a limit", a collective of groups on the islands off northwest Africa are planning a series of protests on the weekend.

But Jessica de León, the regional tourism chief, told The Telegraph that the Canary Islands remain open for business.

“It is still safe to visit the Canary Islands, and we are delighted to welcome you," Ms de León stated.

She acknowledged the protesters' frustrations, especially regarding housing, but said that blaming tourism is "unfair".

Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands, said the views expressed by activists have undertones of "tourist-phobia".

Last week, members of the Canaries Sold Out collective began an "indefinite" hunger strike to protest against luxury urban development projects in Tenerife .

The activists camped in the Plaza de la Concepción in La Laguna, in the north of Tenerife, protesting against two luxury urban development projects in the south of the island.

They also want a moratorium on tourism development projects.

The building of La Tejita hotel and the Cuna del Alma resort, which have been the targets of campaigners' anger, have been plagued by legal troubles.

A total of 13.9 million tourists visited the Canary Islands last year, according to local chamber of commerce figures, 13 per cent more than in 2022. That is more than six times the islands' population of 2.2 million.

The biggest tourist markets are the UK and Germany, although they are also a popular destination for mainland Spaniards.

Victor Martin, a spokesman for the collective, described the tourism level as unsustainable due to limited resources, calling it a "suicidal growth model".

The Congress of Deputies, Spain 's lower house, voted not to halt the construction of the Cuna del Alma project in Puertito de Adeje despite protests outside the parliament building in Madrid.

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