Dr. Surya Bahadur Ghimire (PhD) Mountain Tourism Researcher

How do we attract more tourists? To: How do we create better tourism? The global tourism industry is changing faster than ever before. Travelers are no longer looking only for destinations to see; increasingly, they seek experiences that allow them to feel, connect, heal, and transform. In this changing landscape, Nepal stands before an extraordinary opportunity, not simply to grow tourism, but to redefine it differently and emerge as one of the world’s most meaningful travel destinations. For decades, tourism success has often been measured by one simple indicator: the number of visitor arrivals. While tourist volume remains important, the future of tourism lies beyond numbers. Countries around the world are increasingly prioritizing sustainability, visitor quality, local prosperity, cultural authenticity, environmental responsibility, and transformational experiences. Nepal, fortunately, possesses all the natural and cultural assets necessary to lead this global transition. Unlike ma...

Strategic Realignment of Nepal’s Tourism and Cultural Sectors: A Policy Roadmap for FY 2083/084 and Beyond नेपालको पर्यटन क्षेत्रले पछिल्ला वर्षहरूमा तीव्र उन्नति गरेको छ, र आगामी आर्थिक वर्ष २०८३/८४ का लागि प्रस्तुत नीति–कार्यक्रमले पर्यटनलाई रणनीतिक प्राथमिकतामा राखेको छ। विदेशबाट आउने पर्यटकको संख्या २०२५ मा लगभग पूर्व–महामारी स्तर (२०१९) को ९३.६% पुगिसकेको छ र जनवरी-अगस्ट २०२५ को अवधिमा कुल ७३६,५६२ पर्यटक भित्रिएको छ, जुन २०१९ को तुलनामा ९९.६% हो। यी तथ्यहरूले नेपालको पर्यटन पुनरुद्धार र विकासका अवसरहरू स्पष्ट गर्दछन्। नीति–कार्यक्रमका नयाँ प्रस्तावहरूमध्ये निम्न नौ बुँदाहरू पर्यटन र संस्कृति क्षेत्रलाई समेटेका छन्: १. ‘भिजिट नेपाल २०८५’ अभियान सरकारले २०८५ लाई औपचारिक रूपमा पर्यटन प्रवर्धन वर्षका रूपमा घोषित गर्दै Visit Nepal 2085 अभियान सञ्चालन गर्ने योजना ल्याएको छ। यसअन्तर्गत अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय रुपमा लक्षित विज्ञापन, डिजिटल प्रचारप्रसार, भिसा सुविधा वृद्धि र सहकार्य कार्यक्रमहरू चलाइने छन्। उदाहरणका लागि भारतको “इनक्रेडिबल इण्डिया” अभियानले सन् २००२ मा सुरु भएपछि दस वर्षमा देशको प...

Storytelling in Nepal For Promoting Global Tourism to Visit Nepal Storytelling in Nepal for Promoting Global Tourism to Visit Nepal Storytelling is no longer just a creative add-on in tourism marketing; it is a serious destination branding tool. A 2024 systematic review found that storytelling is widely used in tourism because it helps destinations communicate identity, attract attention, and influence future visitation, while earlier research showed that destination storytelling works best when it connects content, storyteller, channels, and stakeholder co-creation. Studies also link storytelling to destination image, tourist experience, satisfaction, loyalty, and future visit intention.  For Nepal, this matters because the country is not short of attractions; it is short of a globally repeated narrative. Nepal can be sold not just as a place of mountains but as a land of living heritage, sacred journeys, resilience, festivals, pilgrimage routes, mountain communities, and timeles...