The government has identified five criteria for the identification and development of 100 new tourist destinations in the country. The criteria were selected following a discussion among representatives of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, the Nepal Tourism Board and other tourism stakeholders, says Ghanshyam Upadhyaya, joint-secretary at the ministry. In selecting the tourist destinations, heritage sites that are at least 100 years old will be prioritized as the ministry believes that these sites will have an easier time getting global recognition. “Nepal is known across the world for its heritage and cultural sites and the government plans to preserve and promote these places,” says Upadhyaya. Similarly, another criteria is presence of lakes, ponds or water bodies spread over five square kilometers.
Further, popular tourist destinations which lack physical infrastructure will also be promoted. At present, the Khaptad and Bardiya national reserves are popular tourist destinations that nonetheless are short of physical infrastructures like good hotels and lodges.
Tourist destinations for which development plans and blueprints are ready will also identified in the list of 100, according to Upadhyaya. The government will use the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model to develop infrastructures of select destinations and to link different tourist spots.
The central government will be coordinating with the local and provincial bodies for the job. From among the tourist spots identified by the government as well as by the private stakeholders, 100 will be selected and developed. The government has allocated Rs 500 million in 2018-2019 for the effort. The current plan is a part of the government’s ambitious project of attracting two million tourists in 2020. The government also plans to make tourism industry capable of contributing 25 percent of the GDP by 2025. Right now tourism makes up for 9 percent of the GDP.
