GHT Development Programme

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.

Using tourism for poverty alleviation

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.

Development Programme objectives

The GHT Development Programme, of which this website is a part, has several objectives:

To support the Nepal Tourist Board to market less developed areas of the country as trekking destinations.
To promote the GHT to trekkers as a challenging and adventurous alternative to the long established trekking areas.
To facilitate the formation of national, regional and local GHT management bodies to oversee all aspects of the trail.
To facilitate local people in developing products and services for visitors through providing training and technical support.
Promotion best practice within Nepal’s tourism industry, through supporting carefully selected Pro-Poor Sustainable Tourism (PPST) projects and the Responsible Travel Nepal initiative.

For further information, please download the concept document (pdf 277kB).