Where Women Run the Show: How Community-Led Tourism Is Spreading Nepal's Prosperity Beyond the Mountains

Nepal’s tourism landscape is synonymous with its breathtaking mountains, which will always be a draw for adventurous travellers. What has become apparent is for tourism to truly thrive, and to drive economic growth for rurally-based Nepalis, the focus needs to shift to the diversification of traveller experiences across the Himalayan nation.

A new government, a new tourism strategy

Following Nepal’s recent 2026 election, the new government is intentionally shifting its tourism strategy away from the type of extractive, “zero-dollar” mass tourism that causes considerable leakage to occur, meaning little benefit to local people. The goal is to spread wealth beyond the well-worn trekking trails, diverting footfall to emerging parts of the country that currently see few travellers.

While this move has been welcomed by our team at Community Homestay Network (CHN), the grassroots magic is in fact already happening, with local communities steadily building a blueprint for impactful, experiential travel in lesser-known regions.

The Aathpahariya community at Khambela, Dhankuta, greets guests on arrival.

We firmly believe this is a model other destinations can model and adopt.

Dhankuta: a blueprint hiding in plain sight

At CHN, we have been working with a small hill town called Dhankuta in the eastern part of the country. This case study exemplifies how growth can be achieved in any destination that has impressive tourism assets, yet still suffers from undertourism.

In Dhankuta, the evening doesn’t end with a staged show where the local culture is, quite literally, performative. It instead starts with a walk led by newly trained guide, Sabita Shrestha.

As the sun sets, Sabita leads travellers on an “Orange Town Heritage Walk,” where she points out ancestral homes and a spring pond that is helping revive the town’s water supply. The tour ends in her backyard where travellers can connect with her over a hot cup of chiya (milk tea).

Sabita, who is from the local Newar community, said she was unsure about guiding at first, but now sees that walking the streets with travellers has made what previously seemed ordinary become more meaningful.

Sabita Shrestha, a local guide in Orange Town, Dhankuta.

This is the shift we need to see more of around the world, not just in Nepal. Tourism in Dhankuta isn’t built on top-down corporate or governmental planning, but from the ground up based on everyday life and turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Women running the show

Dhankuta has transformed into a thriving destination where Indigenous Aathpahariya and Newar women run the show. They operate home stays, guide travellers, craft textiles, and cook traditional meals, inviting travellers to experience their daily lives via a meaningful two-way exchange.

People often mistakenly reduce the ‘home stay’ concept to being just a place to sleep. In reality, accommodation is one element of a larger ecosystem that is built around organised local participation and training, resulting in community-led ownership and entrepreneurship.

At its heart, tourism is the art of storytelling. By putting the narrative firmly in the hands of the community, we ensure every guest experience is led by those who live the culture.

For travellers, this turns every visit into a profound experience. They walk away with a firsthand connection with the local identity, while the community uncovers a powerful avenue to grow its prosperity and ensure ancestral traditions flourish.

Travellers enjoy a traditional Nepali Thali meal at the Sipting Community Homestay, hosted by the Indigenous Aathpahariya community.

Measuring what tourism sustains

As an industry, we need to stop measuring success solely by arrival numbers. The real metrics should be what tourism sustains: clean water sources, cultural heritage, women-led livelihoods, and preserved local knowledge. Destinations aren’t passive backdrops for vacations; they are living, breathing environments.

At CHN we believe the future of our industry belongs in the hands of communities that are invested and intentional about how they share their lives with the world, and we hope to share our success with other destinations facing the same challenges.

Learn more about our projects at Community Homestay Network and we look forward to welcoming you at one of our homestays the next time you visit Nepal.