2.

Literature Review

2.1 Tourism in Nepal

Tourism is the largest industry in Nepal and its largest source of foreign exchange and revenue.
Possessing eight of the ten highest mountains in the world, Nepal is a hot spot destination for
mountaineers, rock climbers and people seeking adventure. The Hindu and Buddhist heritage of
Nepal and its cool weather are strong attractions of Nepal.
According to statistics from Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), a total of 598,204 foreign tourists
entered the country via aerial route in 2012. The government of Nepal declared 2011 to be Nepal
Tourism Year, and hoped to attract one million foreign tourists to the country during that year.
[4] The government of Nepal has also declared Lumbini Tourism Year 2012 to promote
Lumbini. The government of Nepal has also recently declared Visit Nepal 2020 with the aim of
bringing in two million tourists by 2020.
According to the statistics of 2017, most of the tourists comes to Nepal for observing the
pilgrimage sites and heritages sites of our country i.e. 70.3%, then 34.5% of them comes here at
holiday for pleasure, 13.1% of them visit Nepal for mountaineering and trekking and remaining
18.0% of the tourists comes here for official activities, conferences, business etc.
Nepal holds great potential for tourism development, which can stimulate economic growth and
development. For Nepal, tourism is the main instrument for regional development with positive
economic impact on the income, employment and production. In recent years, there has been
exponential growth in the number of travel agencies, tour guides, tour operators, rafting agencies
and trekking agencies. In 2018, the number of registered travel agencies reached up to 3,508 and
trekking agencies 2,649.

The government has formulated policies and allocated a budget of Rs 2.68 billion for FY
2019/20 to support the tourism sector in developing infrastructure and encouraging environment
-friendly tourism activities. Additionally, the government has allocated Rs 15.85 billion to the
aviation sector for the development of domestic and international tourism sector.

Many research studies conducted worldwide show that tourism development spurs economic
growth. This calls for collective efforts and collaboration among all the stakeholders in
formulating amicable policies and strategies to develop the sector that will contribute in
achieving higher economic growth, i.e., 8.5 per cent as envisioned by the government.

Herculean efforts are needed from all the stakeholders to reform and develop the travel and
tourism sector in an integrated manner to compete with other tourist destinations of the world
through rapid investment, effective campaigning and branding.

2.2 Concept of Tourism Trail

A trail is usually a path, track or unpaved lane or road or highway. The trekking trails on foot
have played significant roles in the human story for their accessibility, migration and civilization
since the pre historic time. Trails around the world are an immeasurable asset to local
communities as pathways of connection and avenues for development and livelihood. These
products have a global appeal and are becoming more prolific. The trail or route provides a
themed and interpreted journey through the rural or urban landscape, creating links between
sites, attractions and other tourism businesses by providing information and storytelling along
the way. Trails range in scale from the site-specific to the international and can be followed on
foot, by bicycle, on horseback, by car, by boat or even by diving along underwater trails. In
many cases, these trails have been developed to promote access and recreation, to explore a
conservation theme and to give a clear identity to places not already well known by visitors. In
context of trekking which is the one of the integral activities of adventure oriented mountain
tourism, a trail can be considered as a rough path across open country or through forests.
Such trails attract tourists from varied tourist market segments like holidays, pilgrimage,
adventurous and special interest from all over the world for the ranges of activities in terrestrial,
aerial and also aquatic forms. It is indicative that 10 per cent of tourist hotspots worldwide are
developing mountain tourism. As per UNWTO 2014 Global Report on Adventure Tourism, the
global trail industry is multibillion dollar contribution to the economy. Most of these mountains
in the lower altitude with cultural routes also bring tourists to some of the most remote
communities on earth. Trekking in the mountains is adventurous, rewarding and unforgettable
experience with these trails. Highlighting the adventure and challenging context of trail just prior
to the establishment of the World Trails Network (WTN) in 2015, it is revealed that ‘trails can
test our resolve on day and be celebration of the outdoors and friendships the next’.
The Trail Development Programme basically has three interrelated elements:
(i) Marketing and promotion of the trail.
(ii) Assisting new and enhancing existing micro and small enterprises along the trail, with
improved linkages to tourism businesses.
(iii) Building institutional capacity to better manage tourism at central and district levels.

The trail development will increase awareness and use of new trekking areas, strengthen the
capacity of communities to engage in environmentally sound, pro-poor tourism businesses,
improve responsible tourism best practice amongst Nepal trek agents and trek guides, improve
market linkages and communication links through local government and ensure better
management in proposed tourism area.
2.3 Legal Framework
Tourism planning in its initial form was initiated only in 1966. It has provided with the
systematic classification of tourism. It was followed by Nepal tourism master Plan 1972,
designed to cover initially for 10 years. In 1995, Tourism Policy was designed. It has opened up
various venues for both government and private sector. There have been serious efforts to
promote the industry in the past. Though the planning was not performed properly and budget
was nominal, the sector has been showing an increasing trend in terms of revenue and
employment. Tourism is emerging as one of the fastest growing, multifaceted, and diverse and
still highly fragmented industry in form all over the world. Therefore, Nepal has to review and
redesign vital components of tourism planning. Nevertheless, the major objectives of any tourism
planning and development process should be to minimize negative impacts and ensure that the
positive benefits are realized in an equitable manner.

Nepalese tourism has witnessed some landmarks in its history. It was enriched with the Tourism
Master Plan, 1972; enactment of related legislations; promulgation of Tourism Policy, 1995;
formation of Nepal Tourism Board as an institutional partnership between public and private
sectors and improvement in the tourism infrastructures. Moreover, the sector has been promoted
as a prime destination with more systematic and planned approach. In fact, it was ultimately to
develop major areas of tourism concern and to facilitate the local participation in the
development and conservation of tourism resources.

Gradually, tourism became one of the most important segments of the Nepalese economy. It is
found to be continuously growing over the years. Though it has witnessed some fluctuations
during the review period (1966-2005), it sustained the growth and became the leading sector of
the economy. The sustained growth of tourism over the period can be attributed to the
involvement of public and private sector in different infrastructure development and promotional
activities.

After the restoration of democracy through the popular 'Peoples' Movement' in 1990, then the
elected government firmly initiated liberalized economic policy and opened up the economy for
the private sector and foreign investment. In the light of such economic policy, the government
formulated Tourism Policy in 1995. The major objectives of the policy were to develop the
tourism industry as a main economic sector through the identification of relationship with other
sectors; to increase employment, foreign currency earnings and national income and to correct
regional imbalance through the expansion of the industry to rural areas. Similarly, other
objectives were to improve natural, cultural and human environments of the nation, to maintain
good image in the international community, to develop and promote Nepal as an attractive tourist
destination. The policy has envisioned that Nepal will be developed as a centre for adventure
tourism with an attractive image. The policy contains 'Policy' and 'Working Policies' for the
long-term development of the tourism industry in the country.

Bibliography
Agrawal, M. K., & Upadhyay, R. P. (2006). In Tourism and Economic Development in Nepal. Northern
Book Center.

Choegyal, L. (2011). The Great Himalaya Trail: A New Nepal Tourism Product with Both Trek Marketing
and Development Rationale. Nepal Tourism & Development Review.

https://mofa.gov.np/about-nepal/tourism-in-nepal/. (n.d.).
Upadhayaya, P. K. (2018). Sustainable Management of Trekking Trails for the Adventure Tourism in
Mountains: A Study of Nepal’s Great Himalaya Trails. Journal of Tourism and Adventure.