KATHMANDU: The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), in collaboration with the Spa Association Nepal and other stakeholders, marked World Wellness Day in Kathmandu with a programme bringing together national and international wellness experts, practitioners, tourism professionals, and policymakers to chart the future of wellness tourism in Nepal.

The event spotlighted the growing global demand for wellness travel and Nepal's distinctive strengths in this space — yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, spa therapies, natural healing, and spiritual experiences. Discussions centred on strengthening professional standards, skills development, and certification systems for the sector, with the broader goal of positioning wellness as a high-value tourism product for Nepal.

As part of this vision, plans are underway to expand wellness-related academic offerings through Diploma and Postgraduate programmes at the Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management (NATHM), aimed at building a skilled workforce to support the sector's growth.

Addressing the programme, Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Khadak Raj Paudel reaffirmed the government's commitment to developing Nepal as an international wellness tourism destination. He noted that by leveraging the country's natural environment, spiritual heritage, and holistic lifestyle traditions, wellness tourism could help diversify Nepal's tourism offerings, attract higher-value visitors, generate employment, and make a meaningful contribution to the national economy.