KATHMANDU

KATHMANDU is  capital city and largest municipality in Nepal.The other sister city is patan, Lalitpur and bhakatapur .Tourism is the other important sector which generates the highest income to the country, it is also sometimes referred to as the “third religion” of Nepal. Nepal was open as a tourist destination for outsiders in the 1950s. Establishment of air services and the opening of the Tribhuvan Highway between Kathmandu and Raxaul at the border with India in 1956 were started. The Tourism Development Board, Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, was started in Kathmandu to promote tourism. Nepal also became the member of several international tourists associations. Building diplomatic relations with other nations was the other important factor to promote tourism. In Nepal and in Kathmandu, the hotel industry, travel agencies, training of tourist guides and targeted publicity campaigns are the chief reasons which contribute to the remarkable growth of this industry.

 

Tourism is a major source of income for most of the people of the city with some several thousands of visitors annually. There are various religious places within and around the city. A large number of Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world visit these religious places like: Pashupatinath temple, Swayambhunath stupa, Boudhanath stupa, Budhanilkantha temple etc. However, the number of tourists visiting Nepal has declined recently, with political instability in the county. But with the country turning into a Democratic Republic, the visitor’s ratio has shown a rising trend. The Himalayas and the rich cultural heritage of the country, attributes to the growing tourism.

Thamel a major tourist hub in Kathmandu is packed with guest houses, restaurants, shops and bookstores catering to the tourists needs. Another alternative to Thamel is the Freak Street, also known as Jochhen Tole. This was the original traveler’s haunt made popular by the hippies of the 1970s.