Policy perspectives

The new tourism policy 2009 was drafted after the success of Second People's Movement in 2006. It has raised issues related to women's participation in tourism (MoTCA 2009). It aims at developing the infrastructures that guarantee the community's access to the benefits obtained from tourism, especially promoting rural tourism with the involvement of women in it. This policy reveals about various tourism development policies. One of such policies mentions that a mechanism with the help of cooperative to allocate the benefits of tourism to disadvantaged people. A woman is considered one of such disadvantageous groups amidst Madhesi, Adibasi, Ethnic groups, etc. It has further aimed to promote touristic activities conducted by women organizations and groups as well as under women leadership with special incentive packages. Such activities are targeted to benefit directly to women by extending the touristic activities to every nook and corner of remote villages which have potential from tourism perspectives. The thrust of this policy to organize various short-term and mid-term trainings is the additional focus to capacitate women in tourism sector (Joshi and Joshi 2010). However, the government has not yet been able to put this into effect. As a result, the present time involvement of women in tourism industry is not very encouraging at the national level. Nepal, the beautiful country, tourist based country, , the beautiful country, tourist based country, , the beautiful country, tourist based country, ese women have not yet got access to tourism planning, policy making and managerial level in real sense. They are still confined in only the management and operation level of commercial tourism industry like hotels, restaurants, travels and tours, trekking agencies, etc.