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The Great Himalaya Trail

Although tourism in Nepal, is one of the largest industries, it has mainly centred on few popular areas like Mt. Everest, Annapurna, and Kathmandu/Pokhara, bringing economic benefits to select areas and communities. Most of the tourists visiting Nepal are repeat tourists, and want to visit destinations outside the Kathmandu-Pokhara-Chitwan tourist triangle. Therefore, the issue of distribution of tourism revenues to larger parts of Nepal, and especially among poorer people of Nepal needs to be addressed again. This is one of the priorities of the Government of Nepal and the core mission of the Great Himalaya Trail Development Project. With the renewed peace and stability in Nepal, there is a great potential on this regard.

Great Himalaya Trail connects existing trekking trails from Mount Kanchenjunga in the east of the country all the way to Hilsa, the gateway to Mount Kailash in the west of Nepal. The trail connects the main tourist trekking destinations with less visited trekking areas, providing opportunities for less visited areas to become part of mainstream trekking in Nepal. Humla and Dolpo are chosen as pilot project areas, as these districts have tremendous tourism potential and are the poorest districts of the country.

The Nepal Trust is working with UNTO (United Nations World Tourism Organisation), SNV (a Dutch development organisation), Local and central government departments in Nepal, and the Trekking Agents Association Nepal, on this two year project which is to run until December 2010.

For more information and photographs go to Robin Boustead's pictorial guidebook on Facebook or see the photograhs only at flickr  or for maps, treks and other information go to The Great Himalaya Trail website.