Nepal to use lesbians, gays to boost tourism sector

Kathmandu:

Nepal is set to use lesbians andgays to boost its tourism sector, which has been adversely impacted after thecountry went through a devastating decade-long Maoists' insurgency andpolitical instability.

 

Almost three years after the SupremeCourt gave legal sanction to gay rights in Nepal, the government to set to host"one of the most extravagant groups of tourists in the world"  the sexual minorities consisting oflesbians, gays, bi-sexuals and transgenders (LGBTs).

 

Nepal government has held a seriesof meetings with well-known international tour operators and non-profitorganisations to promote Nepal as a potential destination for LGBTs, theKantipur online said on Thursday.

 

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) officialshope that LGBT arrivals will give a boost to the number of visitors to thecountry as the government mulls new way to bring in a million foreign touristsin the Nepal Tourism Year 2011.

 

"Some international companies wantto work in tandem with the government and attract LGBTs. We will developstrategies for the same. The beginning is encouraging," said an NTBofficial.

 

Aspart of the first promotional activity, Nepal will host a historicinternational conference in February, which is expected to bring together theworlds top tour operators, airlines and agencies selling adventure tourism toKathmandu to explore opportunities for gay tourism in Nepal, the report said.