Rise in Online Bookings

Tour and trekking operators have a big hand in planning for tourists. A majority of the hotel’s customers come via tour and trekking operators. Booking agents’ contribution to hotel customers is not predominant in Nepal yet, but it is slowly increasing due to the internet There has been a rise in independent trekkers who are not from any trekking agents and book independently online. The proportion of online bookings has increased but hotels are still reliant on agents.

Booking websites bring more visibility, however, the rate shown on booking websites varies according to the contribution from hotels that they require Due to this, there is rate parity between different booking websites of the same hotel

Religious Tourism

Being the birthplace of Lord Buddha and with a majority Hindu population, Nepal has huge potential for religious tourism. Currently, religious tourism or pilgrimage only represents, on average, 12.3% of total tourist arrival in Nepal from 2015-2020

Nepal is home to important Hindu pilgrimage sites such as Pashupatinath Temple, Muktinath Temple, Changunarayan Temple, Patan Area, Budhanilkantha Temple, Pathivara Devi temple, Halesi Mahadev Temple, Devghat, Janakpurdham, Doleshwar Mahadev and Manakamana Temple Nepal also houses the Mayadevi temple and several other sites in Lumbini, Boudhanath stupa, Swayambhunath Stupa, and several monasteries Festivals such as Shivaratri and Buddha Jayanti attract a significant number of Hindu and Buddhist tourists from around the world. There is a potential of turning these festivals into major religious tourism events if there is proper management of tourists and crowd control. The presence of international airports, such as the newly opened Gautam Buddha International Airport in Lumbini, can immensely help in attracting tourists to these destinations.

Cultural Tourism

Nepal is a culturally and linguistically diverse country with over 50 ethnic groups with their own unique culture and language. Nepal is home to four UNESCO World Heritage Sites and several sites in the tentative lists for World Heritage Site nominations, with the Kathmandu valley being home to seven of these World Heritage Sites Among them, the three Durbar Squares (palace squares), home to the ancient Malla Kings of the Kathmandu Valley; represent an important part of Nepal’s history and portrays Nepal’s unique wood architecture. The indigenous Newar community of the Kathmandu valley celebrates jatras, a religious street festival involving chariot processions, folk music and dances. These jatras are usually annual and can be turned into major events to attract tourists. However, the management of tourists and crowds during such jatras is a challenge.

July 2023

Kritipur and Patan are the upcoming areas that have been witnessing an influx of tourists, owing to its architectural grandeur and open spaces surrounding, businesses around these areas are driven largely by the locals.

With Nepal adopting federalism in 2015, the tourism industry has benefitted from the locally elected leaders and their knowledge of local cultures, which has in turn aided in the appropriate marketing of local regions for tourists.