Tourism is a vital component of the economy of Nepal. With its iconic attractions, strategic location and good connectivity; Nepal is ideal for a characteristic short-holiday from regional markets. In addition, adventure tourism (including trekking) is growing rapidly, across both traditional and new source markets, creating good income generating opportunities for the poor in rural Nepal.
However, the sector is constrained by low productivity, poor destination management, untapped opportunities, and a difficult regulatory environment for high value services and innovative products. As a result, Nepal’s tourism industry is trapped in an unsustainable high-volume, low-value model, limiting beneficial participation by the poor as entrepreneurs and employees.
Samarth-NMDP aims to address these constraints by developing innovative visitor products; improving marketing efforts; and supporting destination area management to improve the economic opportunities through tourism in rural Nepal.
Current Interventions
1. Destination Area Management
2. Product and Infrastructure improvement
3. Industry Standards Improvement
4. Industry Linkage Creation
5. Revenue Stream Enhancement
6. Strategic Marketing Efforts
7. Industry Knowledge and Capacity Enhancement
