Nepal is a popular tourism destination for its scenic beauties as well as for its numerous sights. The current government wants to transform the country’s economy to be more efficient. The government sees tourism as an important part of the Nepali economy and plans to improve the cooperation with the tourism industry players to promote it. They also want to participate in the further development of the industry.
The public sector will cooperate with entrepreneurs to improve the Nepal’s tourism. The finance minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai says they will try to make the country not only a leisure tourism destination but also a health, business and convention tourism destination. According to the minister, the tourism industry should be developed mainly in rural areas to improve villagers’ standard of living. It is also important to make steps that would lure private tourism investors to the country. Foreign investments would create needed jobs and they would also bring foreign currency to the country’s economy.
Today, the country is a popular destination especially for trekkers. Visitors are also lured to Nepali World Heritage Sites. Nevertheless, the country’s tourism portfolio is likely to widen in future. Tourism players in the country would like to lure more affluent visitors. To achieve it they plan to introduce new tourism attractions like for example heli-skiing or paragliding.
Also part of the plan is to bring golfers and skiers to the Himalayas. Such development however, might damage the more or less unspoiled backpackers’ route because a new road will be constructed here. As a result a number of trekkers going to the Annapurna region will probably drop. According to the opponents of the project, it will not have any significant impact on alleviating poverty.
