With the ignition of the “Light of Unity” by President Bidya Devi Bhandari at Dasharath Stadium on New Year’s Day Wednesday, the grand tourism promotion drive-- VNY 2020-- has formally set into motion. The objective is to tell the prospective visitors from around the world that Nepal is a safe destination to travel and have unique experiences worth treasuring throughout the lifetime. Though the year 2020 is the focal year of promotion, the campaign will not come to a stop at the year’s end. Considering the importance of the tourism earning in national economic growth and development, giving sustainable boost to this sector will continue beyond 2020. This tourism campaign aims to bring in 2 million foreign tourists within this year not only by making Nepal known in the rest of the world but also offering various attractions. The goal may be ambitious but it is achievable through introduction of attention grabbing packages, reliable infrastructure and supportive government policies.

There is no fault with setting lofty goals but the desired results can be achieved only when all the concerned stakeholders including the government and the private sector work in tandem. This is what the President emphasised during the launching of the tourism promotion campaign. The need of cooperation, collaboration and coordination echoed in the air when she expressed her confidence that the government and the private sector would join hands to promote Nepal’s tourism attractions in the global market. Lighting the flame of unity in itself was symbolic because a nation with such a spectacular cultural, geographical and ethnic diversity could attain the ambitious tourism goal only through a spirit of unity and harmony. Cultural harmony, social intermingling and religious tolerance have been a unique feature of this country through centuries which have added an attraction to the tourists with deep quest for exploration, research and experience. Nature, culture and hospitable people keep attracting visitors from around the world but they are also looking for new products and destination which we need to take into consideration.

The official mascot of VNY 2020 is Yeti, the enigmatic snowman believed to inhabit the Himalayan mountains. This symbolises the attractions associated with legends, myths and mysteries that exist in the popular belief system in the country. Shamanism, tantrism, faith healing, cast of spell, mantra recital and invocation of gods and goddesses in folk music are closely linked with the cultural life of Nepal. These aspects of folk life are a source of attraction for many foreign visitors. They want to listen to the tales of mystery, conduct research on them, get fascinated or write a book on these subjects. Enigmas, mysticism, shamanism, esoteric beliefs and diverse ethnic rites revolving around them continue to attract and baffle cultural enthusiasts. If we are able to package them into the visitor’s itineraries, we can enrich their experience, making them memorable for their lifetime. Nepal is still a visitor’s virgin land with many more to be explored, experienced and enjoyed. Therefore, a visit to Nepal is a must to treasure them for life.