Gender-responsive, resilient tourism vital for sector growth: FNCCI president

KATHMANDU: Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) President Chandra Prasad Dhakal has said advancing gender-responsive, sustainable and resilient tourism enterprises is essential for the development of Nepal’s tourism sector.

Speaking in Kathmandu at a high-level policy dialogue programme on 'Advancing Gender-responsive, Sustainable and Resilient Tourism Enterprises in Nepal', Dhakal said the tourism sector remains a key foundation for job creation, foreign exchange earnings and local livelihoods in Nepal’s economy.

He highlighted the growing role of women in tourism, noting that women’s entrepreneurship is being encouraged through homestays and community-based tourism. “Tourism is a major pillar of Nepal’s economy. Both domestic and international tourism contribute equally to the country’s economic development. However, domestic tourism has been flourishing recently. This has greatly helped in creating employment and making the local economy more dynamic,” Dhakal said.

On the subject of women’s participation, Dhakal said FNCCI has introduced a number of policy reforms to foster women’s entrepreneurship and leadership, and that the FNCCI has amended its statute to enhance women’s involvement in leadership roles.

Mentioning the many opportunities in Nepal, Dhakal said the narrative that nothing is happening in the country must change. He also announced the establishment of Rs 10 billion Nepal Development Company through an FNCCI initiative, aimed at mobilising internal capital for infrastructure construction and other entrepreneurial projects. “The company will assist in both consolidating internal savings and providing the necessary capital for entrepreneurship,” he said.

The programme was organised by the Academy of Innovation for Economic Development Nepal (ACAIED Nepal) in collaboration with the Sustainable Tourism Project, a joint initiative of the Nepal Tourism Board and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to promote gender-responsive and sustainable tourism in Nepal.