‘Dollar fare’ is why foreign tourists avoid Karnali and Sudurpashchim

The ‘alternative wave’ did not reach the remote areas because most residents are of the older generation who do not use social media.

One of the most remote local units of Nepal, Api Himal Rural Municipality, in Darchula district of the Sudurpaschim province, garnered attention recently after the newly-formed Balendra Shah-led government included the promotion of Api Himal as a tourist destination in its 100-point work plan. The move brought hope to the locals, but the bitter fact remains that the local unit’s headquarters is still not connected by a motorable road, and many localities have no access to electricity. Its remoteness, however, is not the only challenge to its tourism targets. The ‘dollar fare’ system has taken a toll on the promotion of remote tourist destinations all over Nepal, as foreign tourists have to deal with the opportunity cost between travel fare and other expenditures.