With its spectacular landscapes, fascinating cultural heritage and the Himalayan range, it’s no wonder that Nepal attracts visitors - over half a million this past year - from around the globe. However, the distribution of these tourism revenues to larger parts of Nepal - and especially among disadvantaged communities - remains an issue.

Requiring relatively low levels of capital investment, tourism can yield high levels of employment and income for the poor, particularly in rural areas where biodiversity and indigenous cultures have not yet been significantly eroded.  The living standards of these communities can be enhanced by infra-structure development, social mobilisation, institutional development, education, skills training and support for entrepreneurs. However, what really sets tourism apart from other industries is the ability to attract foreign and domestic visitors to under-developed rural areas and in so doing stimulate a wide range of business and income-generating opportunities for local people.  Consequently tourism, if sensitively planned and managed, can transform geographical remoteness and rugged landscape – normally obstacles to development in Nepal’s remotest districts – into economic assets.

SNV's Pro-Poor Sustainable Tourism (PPST) sector assists the public, private and NGO sectors harness tourism as a driver for job creation and local economic development for the benefit of Nepal's most disadvantaged communities.  SNV Nepal's support is focused around two core areas Destination Development & Management and Responsible Business in Tourism.

Our Programmes:

• The Great Himalaya Trail Development Programme: Harnessing tourism and peace to drive sustainable development and poverty alleviation through the creation of an iconic and gloablly-significant new tourism product for Nepal.  The 'Great Himalaya Trail' will span the entire length of the country and provide a significant boost to the tourism industry and its associated support sectors by channelling tourists and investment into under-developed regions. Read more about the

  The Great Himalaya Trail Development Programme
• Responsible Travel Nepal: The Responsible Travel initiative will harness market mechanisms to motivate, assist and reward the adoption of - and adherence to - environmentally sustainable and socially responsible management practices within the tourism industry.  Read more about the Responsible Travel Nepal concept.