After long xenophobic isolation of Rana regime, when Nepal was opened to foreigners in 1950, development of tourism took it’s own course. It was only in 1998 that a historic mega tourism project was successfully launched by celebrating Visit Nepal Year ’98. During this period, many international airlines operated their flights in Nepal, domestic tourism grew rapidly, major chain hotels opened, massive public awareness campaigns were carried out, cultural renaissance took place, inexpensive but innovative promotional programs were launched, and simultaneously many software as well as hardware tourism infrastructure were developed. Most importantly, for the first time in the history, the government became positive, private sector enthusiastic and public receptive towards tourism industry.

Then in 1999, a long awaited international sport event - SAF Games - was successfully organized. It brought a delirious momentum that not only enthralled Nepali sportsmen but also marked a new high for national pride. World class sport facilities such as a sophisticated flood- lit stadium, Olympic size swimming pool, fine track fields, boxing rings etc. were developed.

SHY'1

According to American Sports Data Inc., participation in adventure sport is way up at an unprecedented rate. Reports indicate that the US has embarked on a national orgy of adventure sports, indulging in so called "Extreme Sport". It shows the vivid behavioral manifestation of new American life.

In the present day world, sport is no more confined to football stadium, tennis court, swimming pool, boxing ring, and athletic track and field. Today’s sportsmanship extends beyond the edge where activities take place without margin of error. Sport tourism is no more conceived in a narrow perspective of conventional Olympic games and Wimbledon matches.

Despite the world economic recession, people are spending large sums of money to go further afield for their exotic vacations. Wherever they go, majority of outdoor recreationalists tend to seek changes, challenges, education, fulfillment of fantasies and endurance. All however demand authenticity. "Life is either daring adventure or nothing," one writer on Extreme Sports has said. "From Argonauts to Astronauts, from Jasan to Neil Armstrong, the spirit of adventure has fired mankind’s soul throughout the centuries. Down river, up mountain, across seas, over the great sand, we have come to reveal the sheer excitement of all. What draws us on? It is the unfaltering path of life that draws us ever closer to roars of rapids, the tops of mountains, and the heart of jungles."

Many countries try to allure tourist clients by offering involvating tourism packages. In China, Mild Seven Cigarette sponsors the world premier adventure race "The Mild Seven Outdoor Quest" which is a multistage endurance event culmunating over days, with lowest cumulative time determining the winner. In Malaysia, to attract mountain lovers from all over the world, they organized a World Mountain Running Trophy competition in Mount Kinabalu in September 1999, touting itself as "the toughest race in the world", challenging participants to speed to the top of the 4,095-m summit and back in under 4.5 hours. The trail ranges from the dampness of the lowland rain forest to the chill of the treeless granite peak. This marked the debut of the runners’ event in Asia- a world class "Climbathon" previously limited to Europe.

The growing popularity of adventure has opened up a new dimension in the world of sport tourism. Understanding the nature of sport tourism, there are only a few exiting sites like Nepal that offers such a world of superlatives and unparalleled natural beauty. As per the size, this country possesses one of the richest genetic bio-diversity that harbor the high concentration and distribution of unlimited flora and fauna. The highest mountains and deepest gorge, bezentine canyons and amazing vegetation tell as awe-inspiring geomorphologic force of dynamics that thrust mountains upward by the continuous pressure beneath them.

By the advent of sport tourism, restless sport lovers have discovered Nepal on the obscure map of Himalaya. They have organized some activities of marathon, triathlon, mountain bicycling, para-gliding, rock climbing and summit climbing. Having tremendous potentiality in sport tourism, this is only scratching the tips of an iceberg. Equally intriguing to us is though we have some of the world's best trekking, mountaineering, rafting and wildlife safari outfitters and yet the quality of our hospitality, professional, services, rescue operation and expertise are renowned, but we have not been able to sell Nepal as an ultimate destination for sport tourism.

There are endless choices of ethnic, endemic traditional, conventional, adventure, and extreme sport that can be capitalized for Sport Tourism in Nepal. Hiking and trekking are the most popular sports. Trekking in the hills where air is fresh with the smell of pine needles, vegetation is dense, forests are draped with fern and lichen, and ground are fully carpeted with thick moss and wild flowers, is the most exhilarating.

Canoeing, kayaking and white river rafting and other water sports in untamed cascading rivers provide a great sense of challenge. Wet suit, crash helmet, life jacket, kayaks exhibit a clear physical identification which are adored by modern tourists. It is dramatic and holds a great sense of adventure.

Mountaineering, which was once undertaken only by professionals is now sold as exclusive package off- the- table by travel agencies in Europe. Now one does not have to be a Mallory, Hillary, or Tenzing to accomplish the glory of a summitteer.

Other fascinating sports in Nepal are wildlife observation and game hunting. In the past, hunting was a widespread sport. Aristocrats shot for pleasure and trophies and the poor hunted for meat. Now most of major games are protected under Wildlife Preservation Act, in eight national parks and four wildlife reserves. These protected areas have some of the world’s best wildlife safari camps. Few hunting safari outfitters organize sport hunting of blue sheep, deer, antelope and angling in snow-fed rivers.

Hot air ballooning in Nepal has been successfully operated in a small scale. There are numerous hamlets nestled in inaccessible mountain valleys where thousands of inquisitive villagers greet the balloonists with gasps of disbelief and awe.

No one has seriously studied the possibility of skiing in Nepal, presumably because of high altitude. And mountains facing south lack soft, dry, light and powdery snow only to make skiing unsuitable. However a Japanese skier Yuchira Miura has climbed all the way to the south Cole of Mt. Everest just to ski down.

Canyoneering is a brand new high risk and high thrill sport that combines rock climbing, hiking and white water rafting. The canyons of Seti and Kaligandaki gorges in Nepal could be one of the world’s most popular sites for canyoneering where hikers walk inside the gorge, climb the steep crevices, swim or rappel in remote stretches of gushing water. Other extreme sports include hang-gliding, bunjee jumping, parapenting and ultra light aircraft, which have already been tested here.

It is very essential that before Nepal promotes and organizes extreme sport tourism, professionals should be hired and proper guide training should be given to crew members. Its concept is so new that even experienced adventure sports outfitters in the western countries are wholly unregulated. First we should conduct enough reconnaissance survey of sites for extreme sports.

Global Market

After having immense success in organizing South Asian Federation Games held in September 1999, and simultaneously transmitting entire events through satellite channel in Asia, a strong confidence has built up in Nepali moral. Today, sport events are not watched by limited audience in the playground, but by millions of viewers on television. Now-a-days, people are interested to see unusual events from exotic lands. And there would not be more fascinating, exiting, mystic and exotic venue than Nepal - the Abode of the Highest Mountains and Deepest Gorge, the Land of Great Gurkha, Birth Place of Lord Buddha, the only Hindu Kingdom, Nature Amphitheater, Spiritual Land, Shangri-La, the Roof of the World, Land of Tiger, Snow Leopard, One Horned Rhino and unlimited flora and fauna.

The big question is how do we promote Nepal as the venue for Sport Tourism, how do we market the events, and most importantly, how do we attract multi-national companies to sponsor the mega sport event in the Kingdom of Himalaya. At this juncture, it is good to note that somehow we have solved this question to a great extent by establishing the National Tourism Board (NTB) in Nepal. We are the first country in South Asia to establish an autonomous Tourism Board in close co-ordination between the government and private sectors.

Sponsoring Events

Today the world is selling refrigerator to Eskimos and combs to the bald. We merely have to sell gourmet food to hungry men of world tourism market. At this crossroad, NTB cannot afford to be a mediocre agency doing only traditional marketing. Unless products are differentiated, we cannot survive in the present "dog eat dog" tourism business. Without new products, Nepal’s tourism rapidly becomes stereotyped and mundane. Therefore what we need now is innovative promotion with aggressive marketing. With excellent public relation we can attract multi-national companies such as Coca-Cola, Toyota, Motorola, Johnny Walker Whisky to sponsor various sport events such as golf tournament at the backdrop of Himalaya, Chess match by grand masters at Everest Base Camp, high prized Tennis match under the bright sun at 23 degree farenheight, "Kathmandu Klash" an international Cricket Cup for left and right handers, Parapenting in Annapurna, Elephant Polo in Chitwan, Trathlon from Terai to Alpine desert, Marathon in Himalaya, Canyoneering of Kaligandaki, Archery in Mustang, Yak race in Jomsom etc. Tourism is a dream industry, in this business we sell fantasy. And in the world of fantasy, sky is the limit.

Double Benefit

Sport tourism has double benefits. Firstly it brings foreign players and sport fan tourists and secondly, it promotes the destination extensively in international market. However, one very important thing we should not forget is that sports tourism means mass participation. The recreational planning and management of sport tourism has to be carried out carefully taking into consideration three equally important factors - economic, environment and socio-culture concerns. Therefore, while organizing sport events in fragile area, these three cardinal factors including maintenance of mystic values in exotic land have to be taken care of in order to sustain tourism in Nepal. Sport tourism is a chemistry of promotion and management, sport and service, participants and play ground and finally host and guest. Therefore, the spirit of eco-tourism should be added in this program of Sport Himalaya 2001 by simultaneously setting a sub theme entitled "Impact less, explore more".

Finally and essentially, development of sport tourism must include the harmonious preservation of nature and its environment. Without preserving the integrity of endogenous heritage of our mountain and rivers, sport tourism has no future.