Tourism tops Gandaki poll agendas

By Phadindra Adhikari,Lekthnath, Mar. 2: Gandaki Province, spanning from Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta East) on the Indian border to Korala on the China border, is home to 2.46 million people. The province has 1,870,065 registered voters across 18 constituencies, with 234 candidates in the fray for the House of Representatives elections on March 5.

Political parties have highlighted tourism, good governance, and technology-driven development as key drivers of provincial prosperity in their manifestoes. Gandaki, which accounts for 8.46 per cent of Nepal’s total population and 14.8 per cent of its territory, comprises 11 districts, including Himalayan districts like Manang and Mustang. Parts of Gorkha and Myagdi also lie in the high Himalayas.

The Nepali Congress manifesto pledges to attract three million tourists annually within 10 years, promoting sustainable tourism as the foundation of the national economy. The party plans to integrate yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, and herbal medicine under the “Arogya Nepal” campaign, and brand Nepal as a ‘spiritual capital.’ 

Initiatives include establishing cultural villages at tourist sites, an international research centre in Pokhara, and an integrated tourism circuit linking Muktinath, Janakpur, and Lumbini via air and road networks. Pokhara International Airport will be brought into full operation, and an electric railway linking Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Lumbini is under feasibility study. Adventure tourism activities such as paragliding, rafting, kayaking, and canyoning will be promoted commercially.

The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (CPN-UML) aims to double tourist arrivals within five years, expand domestic and international flight connectivity, and encourage private investment in resorts, eco-lodges, and wellness centres.

The Nepal Communist Party (NCP) prioritises the Kathmandu–Pokhara railway, the Butwal–Pokhara–Narayangadh economic triangle, hydropower, and tourism profiles for all districts and municipalities.

International flight expansion and infrastructure development in Muktinath, Devghat, Baglung Kalika, and Manakamana are also planned.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) promises to double tourist numbers and per capita spending in five years, develop the Devghat–Muktinath Hindu–Buddhist cultural corridor, and establish a global mountaineering training “Mountain School”.

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) focuses on promoting natural and religious tourism, simplifying trekking permit processes, and creating employment through a tourism-friendly one-door system.

In Kaski, candidates have prioritised the beautification of lakes, including the Phewa Lake, while those in Tanahun have focused on agricultural potential, hydropower and good governance. Raj Kaji Gurung, a candidate in Kaski-1, said: “Prosperity in Pokhara, the tourism capital, must be linked with surrounding villages so that development becomes accessible to all.”

Candidates in Parbat and Myagdi have emphasised highway upgrades, infrastructure expansion and the promotion of rural tourism, alongside measures ranging from monkey control to commercial agriculture. In Baglung, candidates have highlighted upgrading roads connecting municipalities and wards to the Mid-Hill Highway, and promoting tourist sites and infrastructure.

The promotion of major trekking routes such as the Annapurna Circuit, Mardi Himal Trail and Manaslu Circuit, as well as addressing climate change, also features prominently in campaign agendas.

Constituency-level pledges include road connectivity to Korala in Mustang, employment and road access initiatives in Manang, beautification of lakes in Kaski, rural agriculture and hydropower in Tanahun, and infrastructure upgrades in Parbat, Myagdi, and Baglung. Key trekking circuits such as Annapurna, Mardi Himal, and Manaslu, along with climate-resilient development, are central to candidates’ agendas.