KATHMANDU: The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has placed heritage conservation, cultural promotion, and tourism development at the heart of its policy and programme for fiscal year 2083/84 (2026/27), unveiling a wide-ranging agenda that includes an international film festival, homestay promotion in historic settlements, UNESCO intangible heritage listings, and the restoration of the city's ancient water infrastructure.

Acting Mayor Sunita Dangol presented the policy under the theme "Cultural City, Prosperous Metropolis" at the 19th session of the City Assembly at Rastriya Sabhagriha on Sunday.

An open-air living museum

KMC has framed Kathmandu's ambition as transforming the city into an open and living museum as well as a creative city. To that end, it plans to study, digitally document, and restore historical and cultural heritage across the metropolitan area — including temples, monasteries, courtyards (chowks), stone spouts (hitis), ponds, rest platforms (falchas), and other structures of historical, religious, archaeological, and architectural significance. Original naming and GIS mapping of these sites will be carried out alongside conservation, restoration, and where necessary, reconstruction.

Facades of heritage-compatible buildings along the routes of the Indrajatra chariot procession and the Seto Machhindranath (Arya Avalokiteshvara) festival will be promoted, with KMC committing to construct residences for the principal deities of the Indrajatra procession — Ganesh and Bhairav. The Yendey Cultural Hall, constructed by KMC, will be made operational.

International film festival and cultural programmes

An international Kathmandu Film Festival will be organised, open to foreign guests and participants, positioning the city as a destination for creative and cultural exchange. Traditional food festivals, exhibitions, and cultural expos will be held to spotlight local art, cuisine, attire, handicrafts, folk performance, and literature, with the aim of developing these as part of a creative industry.

Traditional and intangible cultural heritage — including local festivals, folk art, traditional music, attire, jewellery, and natural heritage — will be promoted through film and other media. KMC will also operate its cultural hall and support the preservation and intergenerational transmission of traditional skills and knowledge, with certification systems for local expertise in heritage crafts, art, and traditional knowledge.

UNESCO listing push

KMC has committed to pursuing UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) listings for intangible assets including local festivals, performing arts, traditional music instruments, and cultural practices. This represents a significant step toward international recognition for Kathmandu's living cultural traditions beyond its already-listed monument zones.

Homestay and tourism promotion

To diversify and deepen Kathmandu's tourism offering, KMC will actively promote and encourage homestay operations in ancient settlements and historic neighbourhoods across the city. This is positioned both as a tourism product and as a way to sustain living heritage communities. Heritage preservation of privately and institutionally owned buildings of historical, archaeological, and cultural significance will also be incentivised.

Recharged Kathmandu — water heritage revival

A dedicated "Recharged Kathmandu" campaign will focus on restoring the city's historic network of ponds and stone spouts (hitis), promoting rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge, and restoring environmental balance through the conservation of the city's water heritage. This initiative links Kathmandu's ancient water management traditions with contemporary environmental sustainability goals.

Health and wellness tourism angle

KMC's health policy also carries relevance for wellness tourism, with the metropolis committing to promote Ayurveda, alternative medicine, yoga, pranayama, and meditation as pathways to physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing — all of which align with Nepal's growing positioning as a wellness tourism destination.

A University for culture, heritage and tourism

In a longer-term initiative with significant implications for the sector, KMC will coordinate with the federal government to establish its own university with a focus on language, culture, heritage, tourism, and technology — aimed at producing specialised human resources for these fields.