Nepal to diversify tourism, rekindle romance among Indian honeymooners

Nestled in the lap of the Himalayas, Nepal for decades has been a magnet for adventurers, thrill-seekers and mountain lovers, but the landlocked country seeks to diversify its tourism through campaigns and art festivals and rekindle romance among Indian honeymooners.

In a bid to encourage tourism, boost employment and change perceptions, the Nepalese government launched 'Visit Nepal Year 2020' (VNY 2020) campaign in January, nearly five years after a devastating earthquake killed nearly 9,000 people and left the country's already weak infrastructure broken.

"As the country slowly started to recover from the earthquake by reconstructing the sites and restarting the passes, the Visit Nepal Year 2020 was launched to spurt its growth as tourism destination," a note on VNY 2020 says.

The campaign has been widely publicised by the government within the country and outside.

A total of 1.17 million tourists visited Nepal in 2019 via air and land routes, a slight decline from the previous year when 1.52 million