New Tourism Policy 2082 announced

The government has introduced a new Tourism Policy 2082 to promote the overall development of Nepal’s tourism sector. This comes 17 years after the previous policy, Tourism Policy 2065, was issued.

The new policy aims to establish Nepal as a unique tourist destination. It opens more opportunities for cooperation with the private sector and proposes plans such as forming a National Tourism Council, operating domestic and international airports, and using artificial intelligence (AI) for tourism promotion and marketing.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pande, said the new policy replaces the old one to better fit the current government system and guide the entire tourism industry across all three levels of government.

The policy includes six main policies, 18 strategies, and 94 action plans. It emphasizes public-private partnerships, sustainable and technology-friendly tourism, encourages private investment in airport construction and operation, and plans to develop airports outside the capital into regional hubs to expand air connectivity.

The policy also aims to develop Nepal as an attractive, safe, reliable, and sustainable destination. It plans to promote Nepal internationally by working with diplomatic missions abroad and non-resident Nepali organizations.

Furthermore, the policy focuses on identifying, developing, expanding, and diversifying emerging and existing tourist attractions to elevate Nepal’s tourism sector and contribute to economic growth.

Using modern technology, the policy plans to promote tourism through AI-generated videos and other promotional activities. It encourages public, private, and foreign investment to develop high-quality, multi-sector infrastructure. It also introduces the creation of a Tourism Satellite Account to collect and analyze comprehensive tourism data.

According to a 2020 review by the National Planning Commission, of the 16 policies set by the 2065 Tourism Policy, only two were fully implemented; three were 60-65% implemented; six were 30-45% implemented; four had less than 27% implementation; and one was not implemented at all. The new policy aims to improve these results and boost tourism growth in Nepal.