The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nepal have signed an agreement to jointly launch a new initiative called the “Sustainable Tourism Project (STP).” The agreement was signed by NTB CEO Deepak Raj Joshi and UNDP Nepal Resident Representative Kyoko Yokosuka in the presence of Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Binod Prakash Singh, and UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Director Christophe Bahuet.
The project aims to enhance tourism services, provide skill-based training to the tourism workforce, and promote tourist destinations while creating employment and livelihood opportunities for local communities. With a total budget of $5 million, NTB and United Nations Development Programme will each contribute $1.5 million, while an additional $2 million will be mobilized jointly. Over three years (2025-2028), the project aims to create 2,500 sustainable jobs and provide tourism-related skill training to 5,000 people.
The initiative will focus on improving small tourism infrastructure, trekking routes, and digitalizing Nepal’s tourism industry to enhance efficiency and accessibility. NTB CEO Joshi expressed gratitude for UNDP’s partnership, stating that the project would elevate Nepal’s tourism experience while generating employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for local communities. UNDP Nepal’s Kyoko Yokosuka highlighted that the project aligns with UNDP’s commitment to boost Nepal’s economic potential and promote sustainable tourism.
The project will support Nepal’s 16th National Plan, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and Nepal Tourism Decade (2023-2032), which aims to attract 3.5 million annual tourists by 2032. Previously, NTB and UNDP collaborated on the “Sustainable Tourism for Livelihood Recovery Project (STLRP),” which helped revive Nepal’s tourism sector after COVID-19 by building small-scale tourism infrastructure, restoring cultural heritage, and creating 1,600 jobs in regions like Everest and Annapurna.
The new STP project will focus on investing in Nepal’s natural and cultural heritage, infrastructure development, workforce capacity building, and digital innovation to increase visitor numbers, extend their stay, and boost tourism spending.
