Globally, tourism is a powerful tool that can help achieve the SDGs, and in the HKH region it plays a significant role in reducing poverty, creating jobs, and building multi-stakeholder partnerships.

Sudurpaschim Province in western Nepal and Uttarakhand State in India share many values related to tourism with respect to nature and culture, i.e. environment, spirituality, heritage, economy, and landscape interactions. The positive impacts of tourism on employment, income, foreign exchange, and expansion of other sectors – such as agriculture, handicrafts, services, transport, among others – make it a powerful medium to increase prosperity and well-being in the region.

The ”Tourism beyond borders: Promoting cross-border collaboration” dialogue forum builds on the existing common heritage and prospective economic linkages between Sudurpaschim and Uttarakhand. It is being co-organized by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Uttarakhand State Tourism Board, with support from ICIMOD’s KSLCDI.

The aim of this forum is to explore and determine how cross-border tourism can be developed and implemented by the two states in Nepal and India through cross-border collaboration.