Pokhara Metropolitan City, Bharatpur Metropolitan City and Lumbini Sanskritik Municipality have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly promote tourism, strengthen institutional cooperation, exchange best practices, and develop integrated tourism strategies under the “Silver Triangle” initiative.
The agreement was signed with the objective of fostering long-term collaboration among three of Nepal’s most important tourism destinations, Pokhara, widely recognized as Nepal’s tourism capital; Bharatpur, known for its cultural and religious significance; and Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha and one of the world’s renowned spiritual tourism hubs.
Focus on Sustainable Tourism and Joint Promotion on Pokhara, Bharatpur, And Lumbini
According to the agreement, the three local governments will work together to promote sustainable tourism development, cultural preservation, tourism branding, and coordinated national and international marketing campaigns.
The partnership also aims to strengthen friendship, cultural exchange, peace promotion, and mutual cooperation among the three cities while creating a unified tourism network that benefits both domestic and international visitors.
Annual Tourism Mart and Rotational Leadership System
One of the major highlights of the agreement is the commitment to organize an annual “Silver Triangle Tourism Mart” on a rotational basis among the three cities.
Similarly, leadership and coordination responsibilities for the Silver Triangle initiative will rotate annually among Pokhara, Bharatpur and Lumbini.
The municipalities have also agreed to incorporate Silver Triangle promotion and development programs into their annual policies, plans and budgets.
Integrated Tourism Packages and Digital Promotion
Under the partnership, the three cities will jointly develop integrated tourism packages connecting Pokhara, Bharatpur and Lumbini to encourage longer tourist stays and diversified travel experiences.
The agreement also includes plans to produce and distribute joint tourism promotional materials such as brochures, videos, and digital campaigns.
Additionally, digital information boards featuring major tourist attractions of the partner cities will be installed in each destination to improve tourist awareness and connectivity.
Strengthening Business and Government Collaboration
The MoU emphasizes regular Business-to-Business (B2B) and Government-to-Government (G2G) interactions to enhance tourism cooperation and expand professional networks among tourism entrepreneurs, hotels, travel agencies and local communities.
The three local governments have also committed to organizing cultural, educational and tourism exchange programs to strengthen regional tourism ties.
Coordination with National and International Stakeholders
As part of the agreement, the municipalities will jointly coordinate with local, provincial and federal governments, the Nepal Tourism Board, development partners and other stakeholders to promote the Silver Triangle concept at broader levels.
The agreement further places special emphasis on improving inter-provincial connectivity and transportation infrastructure to facilitate seamless travel between the three destinations.
Tourism stakeholders believe the Silver Triangle initiative could become a landmark regional tourism collaboration model, helping position Nepal as a more integrated and competitive destination in the international tourism market.
