Nepal Beyond Everest: Adventure, Culture and Resilience in the Himalayas

Amidst the business networking on the trade show floor at PATA Travel Mart in Bangkok (PTM2025), the Trends pop-up studio managed to carve out a quiet corner of reflection. It was there, on August 27, 2025, that I sat down with Ganesh Adhikari, Chairperson of Footprint Adventure, to discuss a nation that has long captured the imagination of adventurers and pilgrims alike: Nepal. Our conversation, filmed before the sudden eruption of Gen Z-led protests in Kathmandu the following month, now reads as both a timely call to action and a reminder of the enduring allure of the Himalayas. Adhikari exudes the confidence of a man who knows that his country holds cards few others can play. “Normally, first things, we have Himalayas, right? We have the world’s highest mountain, and over 8,000 metres, we have eight mountains,” he told David Barrett, Host of Trends, with a smile. The draw of Everest is undeniable, yet Adhikari is quick to stress that Nepal is not a one-note destination. “We have a beautiful landscape. We have three kinds of level; flat, hillside and mountain, and we are also second richest in the world in water resources. So, waterfalls, rivers, it’s not only climbing.”

Tourism is a cornerstone of Nepal’s economy, and the figures bear it out. In the fiscal year 2022/23, the country welcomed more than 1.01 million tourists, generating $548 million in revenue. Visitors stayed an average of 13 days, spending $41 a day. These are modest sums by global standards, but together accounting for 1.1 per cent of GDP and employing more than 370,000 Nepalis. India, the United States and China dominate as source markets, though the sector remains sensitive to geopolitical shocks, currency fluctuations and, as recent months have shown, the shifting priorities of its neighbours.

Adhikari’s own company operates firmly at the adventurous end of the spectrum. “Mostly, we are offering trekking and tours,” he explained. “But you don’t have to be very, very fit. If you are mentally prepared and do some basic exercise, you can trek.”

Accommodation ranges from “luxury or three-star in the cities” to the “normal hotels” of the high mountains. Footprint Adventure welcomes around 500 clients per season, drawing Europeans, Americans, Australians and a growing number of Asian travellers. The product offering, however, is broadening: “We are offering luxury tours in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan and Annapurna Base Camp, and even wedding destinations at Everest Base Camp.”

The phrase “luxury wedding in Everest Base Camp” might once have sounded far-fetched, but it is illustrative of how Nepal is adapting. The adventure market has matured. Trekkers now expect curated experiences, reliable infrastructure, and increasingly, sustainability at the heart of the proposition. Adhikari is candid about the challenges. “Sustainability is really important. Even in every mountain in Nepal, mostly people throw rubbish. The government and private companies are trying to manage the trash.” His words echo the mantra often heard on the trails: “Leave only footprints.” It is, perhaps, an apt slogan for his business and for Nepal’s future.

The country, landlocked and squeezed between two giant neighbours, needs tourism to thrive. It is not just about Everest and Annapurna. Nepal is a living museum of Hindu and Buddhist traditions, its streets filled with temples, stupas and palaces that rival the splendours of South-East Asia. Its festivals, from Holi to Tihar, dazzle with colour and ritual. Its cuisine, led by the humble dal bhat comprising rice, lentils, curry and pickle, sustained by the saying “24-hour dal bhat power”  is as integral to the experience as the mountain vistas.

Yet the events of September 2025 have added a sharper edge to the narrative. The protests led by Nepal’s Gen Z generation spoke of discontent, of unemployment, and of frustrations with governance. They also underscored the fragility of a tourism industry on which so many livelihoods depend. For the visitor, though, the message is equally clear: by travelling to Nepal, one contributes not merely to one’s own adventure but to the stability of a nation. The rupees spent in Kathmandu’s Thamel district or on a Pokhara lakeside café ripple out into schools, roads and families.

The sensory overload of Kathmandu’s traffic and incense-choked alleys, the serenity of dawn over the Manaslu circuit, and the humbling hospitality of villagers in the Tsum Valley leave impressions that last a lifetime. And yet, even after weeks of exploring, you’ll leave feeling that you have barely scratched the surface.

Adhikari gave a reminder that Nepal is still writing its tourism story. “We have more than thousands of trekking trails. Just around 10 are popular,” he said, with the implication that the discerning traveller will look beyond the obvious. That may be the key to the country’s resilience; diversification, innovation and a willingness to reframe itself not just as a destination for climbers but for anyone seeking renewal.

For Trends audience, the message is clear. Nepal is open for business, and it offers more than the postcard of Everest. It is a country of peaks and plains, of spirituality and adventure, of challenges and rewards. After the protests, Nepal’s tourism industry needs friends, and those who make the journey will not only discover one of the world’s most extraordinary landscapes but also help to sustain the people who call it home.