Nepal is blessed with diverse and beautiful landscapes, along with rich ethnic, cultural, and biological diversity. That is why the country remains one of the top travel destinations and has recently been listed among the “top must-visit destinations” in various travel magazines.
There are many established destinations within Nepal. Who can forget the so-called golden triangle of Kathmandu–Pokhara–Chitwan? In addition, several emerging destinations are gaining popularity, and a few are becoming overnight sensations—thanks to the media and influencers. This article could have focused on promoting those emerging or virgin destinations; however, it is more concerned with how those destinations can be saved from failure. If we do not act to protect them, the hype will be short-lived, and visitors’ expectations will go unmet.
To begin with, destinations fail because they mistakenly categorize all kinds of visitors as tourists. Visitors are those who go to a place but usually do not stay or participate in any activity and might not contribute to the well-being of the area or its people. In contrast, tourists stay at least one night and engage in activities that support the well-being of the local people, the environment, and the place itself.
When a place is discovered and gradually becomes popular, local stakeholders tend to celebrate the increasing number of visitors. Some emerging destinations even claim to have received more than 100,000 visitors during the New Year. However, many fail to assess whether those visitors stayed overnight, spent money, or shared any new knowledge with the local community. Most visitors come, take a few pictures, and leave. Is this the kind of visitor a destination should aim for? If yes, then the long-term survival and prosperity of such destinations become hard to imagine.
Destinations also fail when they are seen as the property of a specific state or group, rather than as common resources. A destination cannot belong solely to an individual, group, or state. While individuals or groups can initiate projects to establish a place as a destination, once it gains popularity, it no longer remains exclusively theirs. As a destination begins to provide value to different stakeholders and its activities affect various sectors, it becomes a shared resource.
In our context, we have many destinations that stretch across different rural municipalities, districts, or even provinces. The most unsustainable practice is when certain entities treat these destinations as their private property rather than as common assets. To protect these destinations, we must promote shared ownership—not just by local leaders but by all stakeholders.
Destinations also fail when they fail to adapt to changing travel trends. Today’s trend emphasizes experiential tourism. Tourists are no longer convinced by promotional claims alone—they want to experience the place, interact with local people, try indigenous cuisines, and participate in traditional activities. It is often said that no form of marketing is more powerful than word of mouth. For that to work in favor of a destination, it must offer something unique. In Nepal, many emerging destinations claim to be worthy tourist spots simply because they offer a beautiful landscape. While this may attract attention, such destinations won’t last unless they also provide activities and experiences for visitors. Thus, destinations fail when they do not diversify their tourism products.
To sum up these points, it is relevant to consider the concept of the destination life cycle. Every product has a life cycle, and even though tourism belongs to the service industry, destinations are no exception. Back in 1980, scholars proposed six stages in a destination’s life cycle: (i) Exploration Phase where tourism is not yet started or is limited and the destination is still to be explored by the mass; (ii) Involvement Phase where tourism starts and some businesses open in the destination; (iii) Development Phase/ Growth Phase where different amenities are developed to establish the place as a popular destination and tourism grows; (iv) Consolidation phase is where tourism growth slows down gradually; (v) Stagnation Phase is the phase where the number of tourists saturates and (vi) Decline is the phase where the number of visitors starts declining.
Many emerging destinations in Nepal experience a steep rise in visitor numbers and wrongly assume they are already established. However, a place cannot truly become a tourist destination unless it is sustainable. It must continue to give visitors reasons to return even after many years.
Lastly, for any tourist destination to thrive, the place and its people must treat tourism as a key driver of transformation. All stakeholders should take ownership and actively work to conserve the destination before promoting it. Local communities must also implement regulations and codes of conduct to ensure the area welcomes tourists—rather than just casual visitors.
[Written by Sitaram Dahal. The author is Senior Officer of Nepal Tourism Board]
