8th National Accessible Tourism Day held; pressing for a more inclusive travel sector

KATHMANDU: International Development Institute (IDI), Impact Adventure, and Spinal Injury Sangh Nepal (SISN), in partnership with Global Compact Nepal (GCN), Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and Best Western Plus Resorts, held the 8th National Accessible Tourism Day in Godawari, Lalitpur, on Monday to press for a more inclusive travel sector.

Organisers said the event brought together tourism practitioners, disability rights advocates, private sector representatives and policymakers to discuss barriers to accessible travel.

Organisers adopted the theme 'Travel without Barriers: Designing a world for Everyone', saying travel is a universal right and that destinations, infrastructure and experiences must welcome all travellers regardless of ability, age or circumstance.

IDI Country Director Roshan Ghimire opened the programme, followed by an address from Spinal Injury Sangh Nepal Founding Chairperson Kanak Mani Dixit.

SISN Founding Chairperson Kanak Mani Dixit said Nepal’s geographic and cultural assets could be better leveraged if accessibility improved and urged upgrades to footpaths, hotels, airports and heritage sites. He highlighted WheelTrek as a Nepali innovation.

A moderated panel explored structural, attitudinal and systemic barriers to accessible tourism and discussed the economic and social benefits of inclusion.

About 50 participants from the public, private and civil society sectors attended the event, which organisers said was a space for honest dialogue and collective visioning.

Diverse Pattern Director Sagar Prasai said wheelchair-accessible hotel rooms are scarce outside the luxury segment, toilets are often inaccessible, and hospitality staff lack training. “We have laws but no implementation,” he said. “We have been advocating for ramps for so long, and still, they are hardly there.”

Likewise, SISN Executive Director Isha Thapa identified three main barriers: poor infrastructure, a lack of accessible information and communication, and attitudes based on sympathy rather than inclusion. She noted inconsistent implementation, citing hotels with lifts but inaccessible bathrooms.

NTB Officiating Director Sunil Sharma said adapting centuries-old heritage sites is particularly challenging and called for dedicated budget lines and closer work with municipalities and ward offices to implement policy.

Impact Adventure Founder and CEO Pankaj Pradhananga described the Kaskikot accessible trekking trail in Pokhara as South Asia’s first and said progress rests on three pillars: infrastructure, communication and the intent to learn.

GCN Executive Director Krishna Bikram Shah closed the event, saying his organisation is prioritising disability inclusion and will pursue collaboration with the private sector. “We might not be experts, but we believe in collaboration, and that is how we move forward,” he said.

Organisers said the day showed growing momentum for disability inclusion in Nepal while underlining how much remains to be done.