Nepal plans to attract around 200,000 sexual minorities including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersexes
(LGBTI) during the Nepal Tourism Year 2011 (NTY-2011). The Blue Diamond Society
(BDS), an organization representing sexual minorities in the country, has said
that it aims to bring 200,000 i.e. 20 percent such tourists of the total one
million tourists in the NTY-2011. Nepal aims to host one million tourists this
year.
Already gay tourists are responding favorably to the holiday andtravel packages offered by Pink Mountain, a travel and tour agency run by sexual
minorities and catering exclusively to LGBTI.
Pink Mountain offerswedding, honeymoon and anniversary packages to domestic as well as international
LGBTI tourists, according to lawmaker and Chairman of Pink Mountain Sunil Babu
Panta. “The agency has also confirmed two more same-sex marriages, trekking and
many more adventures in the first month of its launch,” said Panta.
Mostof the LGBTIs coming to Nepal so far have been sexual minorities from two Asian
giants, India and China. Nepal’s liberal policies towards sexual minorities
following a Supreme Court ruling have attracted LGBTIs from many countries.
In 2007, the Supreme Court (SC) of Nepal had directed the government togrant citizenship to LGBTIs and form a same-sex marriage committee to assure
equality of the sexual minorities.
The agency offers grand weddings innational parks and the Everest base-camp, nature trip, adventure and safari,
pilgrimage and meditation facilities to LGBTIs visiting the country. Globally,
gay tourism is estimated to be over US$ 100 billion a year, and Nepal’s gay
entrepreneurs are keen to cash in on it.
“The US alone makes US$ 68billion every year through gay tourism,” said Panta. “We are one of the fastest
growing South Asian countries to accept the natural characteristics of being
LGBTI. We can reap this benefit to boost the economy of the country.”
Aresearch conducted by the Community Marketing International (CMI) in the United
States found that 98 percent of LGBTIs have at least one overnight trip in a
year.
Gay tourism entrepreneurs are coordinating with the government aswell as other commercial organizations this year to attract a large number of
sexual minorities. The BDS organized the same-sex marriage of an Indo-British
couple last August in Nepal.
“So far, the government has extended onlymoral support to the gay tourism sector,” said Panta. However, he said he was
pleased that the big hotels and resorts have come forward with LGBTI
community-focused events and packages.
“Tiger and Gokarna resorts,Annapurna, Everest, Himalayan and Dwarika hotels are coordinating with us for
the event,” Panta said.
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