Nepal Marks 46th World Tourism Day, Showcasing Safety and Sustainable Growth
Kathmandu – Nepal used the 46th World Tourism Day to send a clear message to the global community: the country is safe, open, and eager to welcome visitors. At a program organized by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and coordinated by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) on Saturday, speakers highlighted that the industry has entered a recovery phase after the disruptions caused by the recent Gen Z movement.
Celebrated under the theme “Tourism and Green Transformation,” the event featured a message from Prime Minister Sushila Karki. Her statement praised Nepal’s “unique natural beauty, biodiversity, multiethnic and multilingual culture, and world-renowned Himalayas,” describing tourism as a key pillar of the national economy. She called for identifying and promoting underexplored destinations to boost foreign currency earnings and job creation, and affirmed that recovery is already underway despite last month’s unrest.
“The day inspires us to promote tourism as a foundation for sustainable development, mutual understanding, and international friendship,” the Prime Minister said, adding that the government is committed to expanding infrastructure and improving service quality while assuring the world of Nepal’s safety.
Government and Private Sector Partnership
Tourism Secretary Hari Prasad Mainali, who chaired the program, stressed that progress is impossible without private-sector collaboration. “Despite the damage from the Gen Z movement in early September, it is encouraging to see private operators reviving the industry with high morale,” he said, pledging government support to remove policy and legal barriers.
Joint Secretary Indu Ghimire echoed this view, noting rapid recovery and the need for government and business to “walk together” to ensure sustainable transformation.
NTB CEO Deepak Raj Joshi reported that average daily arrivals, which dropped from 3,300 to 1,600 during the week of the protests, have already climbed back to around 2,900. “Every crisis has shown that Nepal’s public and private sectors unite to restore tourism,” he said, emphasizing that the international community now recognizes Nepal as a safe and tourist-friendly destination.
Honoring Contributors to Tourism
The NTB honored 19 individuals and organizations for outstanding service. Among them were Api Himal Rural Municipality of Darchula for developing and promoting trekking and mountain tourism; veteran climbing guide Chhiring Tendi Sherpa of Solukhumbu for more than 50 years of service; Ang Norbu Sherpa for contributions to mountain rescues; and mountaineer Siddhi Bahadur Tamang, who holds a K2 world record and multiple ascents of Everest and Manaslu.
Other honorees included aviation professional Rabindra Raj Pandey, emerging industry leader Kumar Mani Thapaliya, and tourism journalist Sabina Karki.
The event also saw the launch of Village Tourism and Identity, a book jointly published by NTB and the Village Tourism Promotion Forum. In a special gesture, NTB senior director Hikmat Singh Ayer welcomed the first foreign visitors arriving in Nepal on World Tourism Day, George Cordell Branun of the United States and Herzog Amunategui of Chile at Tribhuvan International Airport.
With renewed confidence and a clear focus on sustainability, Nepal’s tourism sector is signaling that it is ready to thrive once again.
