Wellness Nepal Investment Summit 2026: Stakeholders call for greater investment, infrastructure

KATHMANDU: Government and private sector stakeholders at the Wellness Nepal Investment Summit 2026 have called for greater investment and infrastructure development to establish Nepal as a premier global wellness destination. They emphasised the need to focus on public-private partnerships, quality enhancement, foreign investment and skilled workforce development.

During the summit, jointly organised by the World Tourism Network (WTN) and Tourism Info Nepal, participants agreed that Nepal’s Himalayas, natural heritage, Ayurveda, yoga, meditation and cultural authenticity should be integrated and promoted in the international market. The Government of Nepal has already announced that 2027 will be observed as 'Nepal Wellness Tourism Year' following the adoption of the National Wellness Tourism Strategy 2026-2035.

Speaking at the programme, Defence Secretary Indu Ghimire said the wellness tourism strategy sets out five main objectives and 37 strategies covering destination competitiveness, quality and standards, human resource development and market promotion.

Investment Board Nepal (IBN) Chief Executive Officer Yanki Ukyab said IBN was ready to provide the necessary facilitation to attract foreign investment in wellness tourism. Ukyab added that IBN would help resolve obstacles related to land, roads, and other legal procedures for investable private sector projects.

Former Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) CEO and WTN founding member Deepak Raj Joshi said that although wellness tourism held immense potential, the sector had yet to receive adequate investment and infrastructure development.

WTN Founder and Chairman Juergen Thomas Steinmetz said wellness tourists tended to stay longer and spend more than regular tourists. He suggested that Nepal should focus on original and authentic experiences rather than competing on price.

Nepal Academy of Tourism, Hotel and Mountaineering (NATHM) Executive Director Dr Dibya Raj Pokhrel said the development of a skilled workforce had also been prioritised alongside the expansion of wellness tourism. He said undergraduate and postgraduate courses incorporating subjects related to yoga, Ayurveda and spirituality would be introduced from the upcoming financial year.

During a panel discussion at the programme, Kavya Resort and Spa Founder and Managing Director Hitesh Golchha, Dusit Thani Himalayan Resort Dhulikhel Nepal Managing Director Ramesh Hamal and Park Village Resort Executive Director Amritanjali Sakya suggested that the government simplify cumbersome legal procedures and introduce packages for a fixed period to create an investment-friendly environment.

Concluding the programme, Tourism Info Nepal Managing Director Bishwo Bhandari said the event had highlighted the need for coordination and collaboration between the government and the private sector to attract foreign investment in Nepal’s wellness tourism sector.