KATHMANDU, May 22: The Thematic Committee on Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation has decided to construct all trekking trails across Nepal according to a unified national standard.
The committee, chaired by Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Beduram Pandey, held its third meeting in Kathmandu on Wednesday. The meeting resolved that federal, provincial, and local governments will implement the ‘National Trail Construction Standards.’
Trekking Trails on the rise
The committee made seven key decisions to boost tourism. One major decision was to enforce the ‘Homestay Operation Guidelines’ across all levels of government. These guidelines are considered crucial for promoting rural tourism.
The meeting also instructed provincial and local governments to align their policies, programs, and budgets for the upcoming fiscal year with those of the federal government. It tasked provincial governments with supporting local governments in building capacity in the fields of culture and tourism.
The committee also ordered all three levels of government to give priority to maintaining, promoting, and beautifying designated tourist destinations. It also underlined the necessity of putting decisions made in earlier meetings into action and called for the creation of an investment-friendly environment to draw the private sector to the tourism sector.
Minister Pandey, along with provincial tourism ministers and committee members, attended the meeting. Speaking at the event, he stressed the need for coordination and partnership among all levels of government. "Our fragmented approach from policy formulation to implementation has hindered effective results," he said. "We must now move forward with common standards and a clear division of responsibilities."
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