A 28-day Wellness Therapy Training for members of the LGBTIQ+ community has commenced in Kathmandu as part of efforts to promote inclusive tourism, expand employment opportunities, and strengthen Nepal’s growing wellness tourism sector ahead of Nepal Wellness Year 2027.
The Wellness Therapy training is being conducted under the Sustainable Tourism Project (STP), a joint initiative of the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and UNDP Nepal, in coordination with the Blue Diamond Society (BDS). Nine participants have enrolled in the intensive programme designed to equip marginalized communities with market-oriented professional skills.
Building Skills for Nepal’s Expanding Wellness Tourism Industry
The four-week Wellness Therapy training combines theoretical learning with practical, hands-on instruction. Participants will receive training in human anatomy and physiology, professional ethics, customer care, hygiene and safety standards, and the fundamentals of wellness and spa service operations.
The practical component includes techniques such as full-body massage, reflexology, head and shoulder massage, body scrubs, and other wellness therapies that are increasingly in demand across the hospitality and tourism industry. Upon successfully completing the Wellness Therapy training programme, participants will receive Spa Therapist certification, enabling them to pursue professional careers in Nepal’s wellness and hospitality sector.
Supporting Nepal Wellness Year 2027
The initiative aligns with the Government of Nepal’s declaration of 2027 as “Nepal Wellness Year,” a national campaign aimed at positioning Nepal as a leading global wellness tourism destination. The Wellness Therapy training seeks to promote Nepal’s unique strengths, including yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, naturopathy, Himalayan healing traditions, Buddhist and Vedic philosophies, and spiritual tourism, while diversifying the country’s tourism products beyond trekking and mountaineering. The training is expected to contribute to this vision by creating a skilled workforce capable of delivering quality wellness services while generating dignified employment and sustainable livelihoods.
National Strategy Focuses on Quality and Professionalism
The Wellness Therapy training programme also complements Nepal’s recently developed National Wellness Tourism Strategy and Action Plan, which emphasizes improving service quality, strengthening professional competencies, promoting ethical and safe wellness practices, and establishing wellness therapy as a respected profession. Officials believe that developing skilled wellness professionals will help Nepal meet the growing global demand for wellness tourism while enhancing the country’s competitiveness in the international tourism market.
NTB Stresses Inclusive Tourism
Speaking at the programme, Hikmat Singh Ayer, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Nepal Tourism Board, said the benefits of tourism should reach every section of society. “Nepal’s vision for Wellness Year 2027 is founded on the principle that the benefits of tourism must reach every community. Wellness tourism presents new opportunities for dignified employment, entrepreneurship, and inclusive economic growth,” he said.
Ayer added that the initiative aims to position members of the LGBTIQ+ community not merely as beneficiaries but as active contributors to Nepal’s evolving wellness tourism industry. He further emphasized that the Nepal Tourism Board remains committed to promoting tourism that is inclusive, respectful, and accessible to all, noting that empowering marginalized communities through professional skills development strengthens both social equity and the competitiveness of Nepal’s tourism sector. “Diversity is one of Nepal’s greatest strengths, and an inclusive tourism industry is essential for sustainable national development,” he said.
Inclusive Skills Development at the Core
Dharmaraj Dawadi, National Project Manager of the Sustainable Tourism Project, highlighted that creating pathways to dignified employment for marginalized communities remains central to the project’s objectives. He said investing in professional wellness skills helps participants build confidence, access sustainable livelihoods, and actively contribute to Nepal’s expanding wellness tourism market.
According to project officials, the initiative demonstrates how inclusive capacity-building programmes can simultaneously promote social justice, strengthen Nepal’s tourism workforce, and support the country’s long-term ambition of becoming a leading wellness tourism destination in South Asia.
