Travel & Tourism

Neelam Paudel has returned to Kathmandu after becoming the first transgender woman to successfully summit Mount Everest. Paudel stated that she is happy to have established her identity and hopes her achievement will inspire others in the transgender community. The climb is described as a victory over social discrimination and a struggle for identity.

The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are collaborating on an 'International Marketing Strategy and Five-Year Action Plan (2026-2030)' to shift Nepal's tourism model from mass to high-value, sustainable experiences. This strategy, developed after consulting 135 stakeholders, aims to rebrand Nepal beyond adventure, emphasizing its cultural, spiritual, wellness, and nature offerings, and addressing a lack of coordinated international marketing.

The Koshi Tappu Reserve has attracted 11,603 visitors during the current fiscal year 2081-82 BS (2026-27). The majority of visitors, 11,214, were domestic, while 87 came from SAARC countries and 302 from other nations, according to Reserve Chief Bhupendra Prasad Yadav.

Gupteshwar Cave in Pokhara generated over NPR 525,000 in a single day through ticket sales from 6,078 visitors, including domestic and international tourists. The cave management committee chairman, Laxman Bastola, stated that the attraction is enhanced by the view of Davis Fall and a naturally formed Shiva idol.

An all-Nepali expedition team, part of the "Summit to Sea" campaign, successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest on Saturday morning. The expedition, led by Mingma Tamang, aims to raise awareness about climate change and river conservation, with the team planning a subsequent kayaking journey to the Bay of Bengal.