Kathmandu, Nepal . The Women Tourism Entrepreneurs Network (WTEN) has launched a promotional tour and stakeholder interaction program across major tourist destinations in Koshi Province to showcase the immense tourism potential of eastern Nepal at both the national and international levels.
The initiative, organized with the support of the Nepal Tourism Board, brought together women entrepreneurs actively engaged in Nepal’s tourism industry. During the tour, the delegation visited both emerging and established destinations while interacting with local governments, tourism entrepreneurs, homestay operators, and community representatives to discuss opportunities, challenges, and strategies for sustainable tourism development.
As part of the program, the team participated in an interaction session held at Shree Antu, Ilam, one of eastern Nepal’s most renowned hill destinations. Speaking at the event, WTEN President Jaya Baral highlighted that Koshi Province possesses exceptional potential for nature-based, religious, cultural, historical, and adventure tourism. She emphasized the need for a well-planned and integrated approach to unlocking the province’s tourism assets.
Baral stressed that eastern Nepal’s religious sites, archaeological heritage, breathtaking landscapes, and adventure tourism attractions should be developed into integrated tourism products by linking them with local agriculture, traditional culture, and rural lifestyles. She particularly underscored the importance of promoting agri-tourism, stating that connecting local agricultural products, traditional cuisine, indigenous culture, and village life with tourism would significantly strengthen the rural economy.
She further urged local governments to identify and document their unique tourism resources and develop integrated tourism packages reflecting each area’s cultural and natural identity. According to Baral, close collaboration among local governments, tourism entrepreneurs, hotels, homestay operators, transport service providers, and local communities is essential for creating quality tourism products.
Addressing existing challenges in the tourism sector, she emphasized the need for stronger partnerships between the government and the private sector, noting that tourism should be established as a key driver of local economic development through collective commitment from all stakeholders.
Participants representing local tourism businesses expressed confidence that effective promotion of lesser-known destinations in eastern Nepal would help extend tourism benefits to remote rural communities. They also stressed the importance of stronger cooperation among local governments, private enterprises, and tourism organizations to promote community-based tourism, rural tourism, and local entrepreneurship.
Kanchana Baral, Treasurer of the Antu Tourism Entrepreneurs Association, described Shree Antu as Nepal’s premier sunrise-viewing destination, rich in natural beauty, religious significance, and historical heritage. She noted that the destination now offers a wide range of accommodation options—from affordable community homestays to a four-star hotel—catering to diverse visitor preferences.
She also emphasized the need for increased government investment in tourism infrastructure, comprehensive studies of local tourism potential, and balanced policies that prioritize both tourism promotion and heritage conservation.
Similarly, Dhankumar Ale, President of the Antu Danda Community Homestay, highlighted the crucial role of homestays in rural tourism development. He stated that eastern Nepal’s unique combination of diverse climates, spectacular landscapes, rich biodiversity, and authentic cultural experiences within short travel distances makes the region an ideal destination for multi-dimensional tourism.
Ward Chairperson Urgen Bamjan of Suryodaya Municipality–5 informed participants that the local government has identified tourism as a major pillar of economic development and is investing in roads, hiking trails, tourism infrastructure, destination conservation, and promotional activities. He expressed confidence that collaboration between local governments, the private sector, and tourism organizations would significantly enhance tourism development in the region.
According to Bamjan, the municipality has allocated funding in the current fiscal year for various tourism infrastructure and destination development projects. He also noted that programs aimed at engaging women, children, and local communities in tourism development remain a key priority.
The promotional tour began in Kathmandu and included visits to Koshi Barrage, Jhapa, Ilam, Shree Antu, Barahakshetra, and several other major tourist destinations across Koshi Province. Throughout the journey, the delegation held extensive discussions with local governments, tourism stakeholders, and community members on destination promotion, infrastructure development, border tourism opportunities, and the future of sustainable tourism in eastern Nepal.
According to the Women Tourism Entrepreneurs Network, such promotional initiatives are expected to introduce emerging destinations to wider domestic and international markets while contributing to increased local income generation, women’s entrepreneurship, rural tourism expansion, and sustainable tourism development. The organization also announced that it plans to continue similar promotional campaigns in other provinces to connect local tourism destinations with broader national and global tourism markets.
