News
Nepal Appeals for Gay Tourists
Nepal has plans to host the world's highest same-sex "weddings" at Everest base camp.
The driving force behind the quest for the 'Pink
pound' is Sunil Pant, a member of parliament, the nation's most prominent gay
activist and founder of the new Pink Mountain tour company.
Tourism is one of the main drivers of Nepal's economy, worth
about 350 million US dollars (£230 million) last year, and government officials
are determined to double tourism to one million visitors next year.
It is hoped gay tourists will be far more lucrative than the
backpackers who stay in cheap hotels here and travel on shoestring budgets.
"They do have a lot of income ... they are high-spending consumers,"
said Aditya Baral, spokesman for the Nepal Tourism Board.