The giant hand statue, depicting a reaching skyward, symbolizes peace and spirituality, offers breathtaking views of the nearby mountains and lush landscapes along with Pokhara Valley. Photo by: Bishal Rai
Tourism is one of the key sectors contributing to the economy in any country. The Pokhara Visit Year 2025 was launched on February 15 amidst a grand ceremony. The Pokhara Metropolitan City, in coordination with government, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and the private sector, has started the year-round tourism campaign with a target of welcoming 2 million tourists from domestic as well as international with plans to introduce various packages to the attraction of visitors to Pokhara.
The city of Pokhara, which had been officially recognized as Nepal’s Tourism Capital in 2024, was preparing to launch a major tourism campaign, “Visit Pokhara 2025.” Officials emphasized that this campaign would not only promote international arrivals but also strengthen internal tourism.
Prime destination
The beautiful ‘Lake City’ is one of the gateways to the world-famous Annapurna Region, Muktinath and Mustang – A dedicated corridor improving accessibility to the sacred pilgrimage site and Tibet (China). The local people’s great hospitality, tourism-friendly environment, monuments, surrounded by stunning natural beauty, and green forests have upgraded Pokhara’s destination image. Besisahar of Lamjung district is another point from where a journey to the Annapurna Circuit trek begins. Pokhara has been a prime destination among nature lovers, adventurers and those interested in the culture and lifestyle of the people. As the nation’s second-largest city, Pokhara has been a main tourist destination since the 1950s when the tourism business, especially mountaineering activities, started in Nepal.
The picturesque lakes such as Phewa Lake, Begnas Lake and Rupa Lake have been a major tourist draw in the city. Boating on the Phewa Lake and Begnas Lake is an additional tourism activity there.
Fewa Lake the most popular and most visited lake in Nepal, is located at an altitude of 742 m (2,434 ft) and
covers an area of about 5.8 square kilometers. Photo by: Bishal Rai
With the availability of cable car facilities and different adventure activities like paragliding, bungee jumping, zip-flying, the city has been a hotpot of tourists having varied tastes and interests. With moderate climate and serenity of Pokhara, more travellers, including domestic visitors, are found showing their keen interest in visiting there.
The waterfall is called the Devi's fall because a foreign tourist woman named David, was swept away by the fall while swimming with her husband in 1961 whereas it is also known as Patale Chhango, which means "Underworld's Waterfall" in Nepali. Photo by: Bishal Rai
According to the latest data, nearly 1.15 million foreign visitors arrived in Nepal in 2024. Where there is no exact data indicating the number of tourists visiting Pokhara annually, an estimated 40-45 per cent of the total number of travellers entering Nepal make their trip to the city every year. Local tourism entrepreneurs estimate that some 400,000 foreign travellers visit Pokhara annually.
Sarangkot in Pokhara is famous for its Himalayan views, sunrise-sunset, and paragliding which attracts tourists from all around the globe. Photo by: Bishal Rai
Branding Pokhara as a Global Tourism Hub
With an extensive promotional strategy, the campaign was designed to highlight Pokhara’s diverse tourism offerings, including adventure travel, natural landscapes, and cultural heritage.
This comprehensive approach was expected to position Pokhara as a must-visit destination in South Asia while boosting international partnerships within the tourism sector. Several infrastructure projects were also planned for this campaign.
Sustainable Tourism and Local Engagement
Sustainability remained a key focus of the campaign, with particular emphasis on maintaining environmental balance and ensuring that tourism remained beneficial to local communities. Special measures were being taken to promote food safety, ecological conservation, and responsible travel practices. Ensuring long-term sustainability would require strict environmental regulations and proper management of tourist facilities. By working closely with international tourism bodies, Nepal aimed to strike a balance between economic gains and ecological preservation.
Global and Economic Impact on the Travel Industry
Pokhara’s ambitious tourism campaign was expected to have a wonderful effect on the South Asian travel market. With Nepal already emerging as a key adventure tourism hub, this initiative was likely to boost its competitive positioning.
From a regional perspective, Visit Pokhara 2025 was also anticipated to strengthen Nepal’s role within the South Asian tourism circuit. Consequently, Nepal has the potential to become a major stop for travelers exploring multiple destinations across Asia.
The success of Visit Pokhara 2025 would not only shape the future of Nepal’s tourism industry but could also serve as a model for other South Asian destinations looking to revitalize their travel economies.
With the campaign’s launch, all eyes are on Pokhara to see how it would transform into a leading global tourism hotspot, setting the stage for an even bigger milestone that is Visit Nepal Year 2026.
Best Time to Visit Pokhara
The suitable months for visiting Pokhara are from March to April and October to November. These months fall within the spring and autumn seasons, offering comfortable weather ideal for walking and exploration. Monsoon rains, occur between May to September, can make travel difficult, and Pokhara weather is very uncertain and the winter months of December and January bring cold temperatures.
Machhapuchhre mountain also known as 'Fishtail' Peak of Nepal, situated in the Annapurna Range of Gandaki Province, north-central Nepal, with the height of approximately 6,993m (22,943 ft). Photo by: Bishal Rai
The giant hand statue, depicting a reaching skyward, symbolizes peace and spirituality, offers breathtaking views of the nearby mountains and lush landscapes along with Pokhara Valley. Photo by: Bishal Rai
Tourism is one of the key sectors contributing to the economy in any country. The Pokhara Visit Year 2025 was launched on February 15 amidst a grand ceremony. The Pokhara Metropolitan City, in coordination with government, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and the private sector, has started the year-round tourism campaign with a target of welcoming 2 million tourists from domestic as well as international with plans to introduce various packages to the attraction of visitors to Pokhara.
The city of Pokhara, which had been officially recognized as Nepal’s Tourism Capital in 2024, was preparing to launch a major tourism campaign, “Visit Pokhara 2025.” Officials emphasized that this campaign would not only promote international arrivals but also strengthen internal tourism.
Prime destination
The beautiful ‘Lake City’ is one of the gateways to the world-famous Annapurna Region, Muktinath and Mustang – A dedicated corridor improving accessibility to the sacred pilgrimage site and Tibet (China). The local people’s great hospitality, tourism-friendly environment, monuments, surrounded by stunning natural beauty, and green forests have upgraded Pokhara’s destination image. Besisahar of Lamjung district is another point from where a journey to the Annapurna Circuit trek begins. Pokhara has been a prime destination among nature lovers, adventurers and those interested in the culture and lifestyle of the people. As the nation’s second-largest city, Pokhara has been a main tourist destination since the 1950s when the tourism business, especially mountaineering activities, started in Nepal.
The picturesque lakes such as Phewa Lake, Begnas Lake and Rupa Lake have been a major tourist draw in the city. Boating on the Phewa Lake and Begnas Lake is an additional tourism activity there.
Fewa Lake the most popular and most visited lake in Nepal, is located at an altitude of 742 m (2,434 ft) and
covers an area of about 5.8 square kilometers. Photo by: Bishal Rai
With the availability of cable car facilities and different adventure activities like paragliding, bungee jumping, zip-flying, the city has been a hotpot of tourists having varied tastes and interests. With moderate climate and serenity of Pokhara, more travellers, including domestic visitors, are found showing their keen interest in visiting there.
The waterfall is called the Devi's fall because a foreign tourist woman named David, was swept away by the fall while swimming with her husband in 1961 whereas it is also known as Patale Chhango, which means "Underworld's Waterfall" in Nepali. Photo by: Bishal Rai
According to the latest data, nearly 1.15 million foreign visitors arrived in Nepal in 2024. Where there is no exact data indicating the number of tourists visiting Pokhara annually, an estimated 40-45 per cent of the total number of travellers entering Nepal make their trip to the city every year. Local tourism entrepreneurs estimate that some 400,000 foreign travellers visit Pokhara annually.
Sarangkot in Pokhara is famous for its Himalayan views, sunrise-sunset, and paragliding which attracts tourists from all around the globe. Photo by: Bishal Rai
Branding Pokhara as a Global Tourism Hub
With an extensive promotional strategy, the campaign was designed to highlight Pokhara’s diverse tourism offerings, including adventure travel, natural landscapes, and cultural heritage.
This comprehensive approach was expected to position Pokhara as a must-visit destination in South Asia while boosting international partnerships within the tourism sector. Several infrastructure projects were also planned for this campaign.
Sustainable Tourism and Local Engagement
Sustainability remained a key focus of the campaign, with particular emphasis on maintaining environmental balance and ensuring that tourism remained beneficial to local communities. Special measures were being taken to promote food safety, ecological conservation, and responsible travel practices. Ensuring long-term sustainability would require strict environmental regulations and proper management of tourist facilities. By working closely with international tourism bodies, Nepal aimed to strike a balance between economic gains and ecological preservation.
Global and Economic Impact on the Travel Industry
Pokhara’s ambitious tourism campaign was expected to have a wonderful effect on the South Asian travel market. With Nepal already emerging as a key adventure tourism hub, this initiative was likely to boost its competitive positioning.
From a regional perspective, Visit Pokhara 2025 was also anticipated to strengthen Nepal’s role within the South Asian tourism circuit. Consequently, Nepal has the potential to become a major stop for travelers exploring multiple destinations across Asia.
The success of Visit Pokhara 2025 would not only shape the future of Nepal’s tourism industry but could also serve as a model for other South Asian destinations looking to revitalize their travel economies.
With the campaign’s launch, all eyes are on Pokhara to see how it would transform into a leading global tourism hotspot, setting the stage for an even bigger milestone that is Visit Nepal Year 2026.
Best Time to Visit Pokhara
The suitable months for visiting Pokhara are from March to April and October to November. These months fall within the spring and autumn seasons, offering comfortable weather ideal for walking and exploration. Monsoon rains, occur between May to September, can make travel difficult, and Pokhara weather is very uncertain and the winter months of December and January bring cold temperatures.
Machhapuchhre mountain also known as 'Fishtail' Peak of Nepal, situated in the Annapurna Range of Gandaki Province, north-central Nepal, with the height of approximately 6,993m (22,943 ft). Photo by: Bishal Rai