The euphoria over the registration of marriage between Surendra Pandey and Maya Gurung, widely recognised as the first legal marriage of same-sex individuals in Nepal, is yet to die down. Meanwhile, there is yet another piece of news from Nepal to celebrate: An international conference to help LGBTIQ+ visitors travel to Nepal with pride, which is being planned sometime in January. Considered the first international queer tourism conference, it is expected to create a platform for nuanced discussions on making Nepal’s tourism sensitive to the requirements of queer tourists. At a time when Nepal’s global standing as a queer-friendly nation is growing, the conference will likely bolster the image. This also aligns with the country's democratic ethos that considers people belonging to different identity groups as equal citizens—although, of course, there are legitimate demands from people from various quarters, including queer people themselves, to be treated equally in letter and spirit.

Queer tourism, also called pink tourism, is a multi-billion dollar industry that remains not just untapped but is pushed to the margins as many societies are yet to come to terms with their moral standards. As arguably one of the most tolerant societies to queer people, Nepal stands to attract global LGBTIQ+ tourists. And, as the country’s tourism slowly gets back to the pre-pandemic levels, widening the gender spectrum to include queer tourists will help it further buttress the economy. With the global queer consumer spending power estimated at $4.7 trillion, Nepal stands to gain from it if it extends its Atithi devo bhabhah (Guests are gods) adage to include queer people.

The proposed conference, while it may lay the groundwork for further discussions on opening up Nepali tourism to the queer clientele, would require substantial complementary work from the state. From building physical infrastructure suited to the requirements of the clientele to sensitising service sector operators and workers about the imperative of recognising non-heteronormative sexual choices of individuals, the state must first invest in the fundamentals. The attitudes of the authorities towards the queer community have changed for the better in recent years. But there is much more to do to normalise non-heteronormativity. The sooner the state invests in such physical and knowledge infrastructure, the better the chances of reaping the benefit from the clientele that is eager to see the normalisation of its choices.

The private sector, meanwhile, has much to gain by venturing into pink tourism. In several parts of the liberal world, there are dedicated travel agencies that cater to the LGBTIQ+ tourists. There is nothing better than to travel to new destinations with like-minded people, especially as it involves the question of safety, dignity and companionship. Moreover, the private sector can explore the idea of turning Nepal into a wedding destination for queer tourists.

By opening its majestic tourist destinations to the queer people, Nepal can gain financially while also fulfilling its fundamental social responsibility. This will also lead to better job prospects for members of the queer community who otherwise have a hard time finding jobs. Again, the normalisation of non-heteronormative choices will help boost the service sector financially while also making it a more humane space. 

(This article was first published by The Kathmandu Post, Nepal)