Nepal's Mountain Tourism: Untapped Potential and Urgent Reforms Needed, Says Mountaineering Association Chief

This dialogue focuses on the immense potential and existing challenges facing Nepal's mountain tourism sector, considered the backbone of the Nepali economy.

What should be the role of the tourism sector in creating employment and overall economic development in the country? What policy-level reforms are necessary, and what should be the future course of action? Presented here is an edited excerpt from an interview with Furba Gelje Sherpa, President of the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), regarding these issues and the current state of the tourism sector:

• What is the state of Nepal's mountain tourism amidst the country's political situation and economic slowdown?

Nepal's real gold mine is its Himalayas. The unbroken Himalayan range, stretching nearly 900 kilometers from Kanchenjunga in the east to Api Nampa in the west, is a rare global asset. But the misfortune is that the country's leadership has never seriously considered it an industry.

The focus of political parties and the government has always been on power equations and immediate popularity. The idea that prosperity comes from the mountains was mentioned in speeches, but no 'master plan' materialized in practice. We businesspeople repeatedly state that until mountain tourism is recognized as a national priority industry and budgets and policies are formulated accordingly, we will continue to squander nature's gift.

• There is a frightening level of youth migration in the country. Can the tourism sector stop this?

It absolutely can. The bitter reality today is that 1,500 to 2,000 energetic youths aged 20 to 30 are leaving the country every day. They are forced to work as general laborers there and sweat blood for meager wages, yet we have such a massive opportunity right here in the mountains, in this very tourism industry, that it is immeasurable.

If political parties and the government sit down to discuss with stakeholders and truly embrace this industry to create a clear agenda, Nepalis will not have to go abroad.

People from around the world want to come to Nepal. We are among the world's best destinations. We simply have not been able to market and manage it correctly. If we can properly promote our mountains and tourist destinations, millions of youths can find employment right here. They can become self-employed, but because the leadership fails to grasp this, we are losing both our youth power and economic prosperity.

• What are the main areas that require immediate reform for tourism development?

The most pressing need is specialized education. We have hotel management colleges, but they are city-centric. We need a Mountain Adventure University to produce manpower capable of leading mountaineering, rescue operations, and adventure tourism. If such a university were established, students from all over the world would come to Nepal to study mountaineering, making Nepal an academic hub.

Secondly, infrastructure development is crucial. Many of our beautiful mountains are almost closed off due to a lack of access. Tourism must not be limited to Kathmandu and Pokhara but must reach the far reaches of the Far West and Eastern Nepal. Decentralization at the policy level is necessary for this.

• What is the status of the capacity and climber management of our mountains?

We have inexhaustible potential. The government has opened 414 peaks for climbing, but we are putting excessive pressure on a limited number of mountains. There are still over 1,300 identified peaks in Nepal that have not been opened for climbing.

If we market those virgin peaks correctly and manage climbers according to the season, we can welcome tens of thousands of tourists to the mountains annually. For this, the Nepal Mountaineering Association is continuously lobbying the government to open new peaks and make royalty regulations more flexible.

• What impact have recurring issues like 'fake rescues' in the tourism sector had?

Honesty is the greatest asset in business. Activities like fake rescues raise questions internationally about Nepal's insurance and security. This is completely wrong, and there must be zero tolerance for it.

To solve this problem, strong coordination is needed between the Ministry of Tourism, the Department, and us businesspeople. The entire country and honest entrepreneurs should not be tarnished because of a handful of wrongdoers. The state must implement strict monitoring and punitive measures, in which the Association will provide full cooperation.

• How much are tourism sector agendas reflected in the manifestos of political parties?

It is with regret that I say tourism has become merely a ceremonial subject in the manifestos of political parties. Big dreams are sold during elections, but when it comes to creating a roadmap to fulfill those dreams, experts or concerned organizations like ours are never consulted.

Parties must bring implementation-oriented plans, not empty rhetoric. Manifestos written in rooms without consulting experts cannot transform the tourism sector. To understand the prosperity of the mountains, one must listen to the experiences of those who work in the mountains.