Stakeholders discuss 'Silver Triangle' tourism initiative linking Pokhara, Bharatpur, Lumbini

GANDAKI: An interaction held in Bharatpur on Monday brought stakeholders together to prepare plans for the Silver Triangle, a proposed initiative to link the tourist destinations of Pokhara, Bharatpur and Lumbini.

Chiefs of the three local governments, elected representatives, administrators, private sector leaders and tourism entrepreneurs attended the meeting and pledged to expand tourism across the three destinations, which hold both religious and recreational significance.

Pokhara Mayor Dhana Raj Acharya said the Silver Triangle concept aims to improve the economies of all three cities by attracting more tourists and that the local authorities had agreed to include promotional programmes in their policies and plans. "Now, we need to advance business-to-business (B2B) and government-to-government (G2G) collaboration in a concrete and visible way," he said, adding that improved connectivity would encourage simultaneous visits to Pokhara, Chitwan and Lumbini.

Narayan Prasad Adhikari, chief of the District Coordination Committee in Chitwan, said tourism could be advanced by linking Pokhara for adventure, Bharatpur for nature and Lumbini for culture, and added that alongside construction of tourism infrastructure, cleanliness and environmental concerns must be addressed.

Acting mayor of Lumbini Sanskritik Municipality, Kalpana Harijan, called for greater private sector investment in tourism development and urged initiatives to ensure the sustainable operation of Pokhara and Gautam Buddha International Airports.

Gopi Bhattarai, coordinator of Pokhara Visit Year 2025–2026, emphasised the need for cooperation between the private sector and government, noting that tourism had been badly affected by recent natural disasters and that the message of "Nepal is open and safe" should be promoted internationally.

Santosh Pokharel, an executive member of Nepal Tourism Board, said effective digital marketing is essential as many travellers seek information via online platforms.

Acting mayor of Bharatpur Metropolitan City, Chitrasen Adhikari, said partnership and collaboration are prerequisites for promoting the three destinations, which are closely linked to Nepal’s identity, and announced that a Silver Triangle tourism fair will be organised soon.

A memorandum of understanding between Pokhara Metropolitan City (Kaski), Bharatpur Metropolitan City (Chitwan) and Lumbini Sanskritik Municipality (Rupandehi) was signed in May to take the Silver Triangle tourism initiative forward.

By RSS