The Network

The Sustainable Tourism Network (STN) is an informal network of individuals and organizations who are engaged and interested in promoting sustainable tourism practices in Nepal.

Vision / Mission

STN envisions Nepal as a completely Sustainable Tourism Destination.

STN aims to promote and facilitate sustainable and equitable tourism in Nepal by bringing together concerned stakeholders from the public, private and NGO sectors who are involved in – or have an influence on – the tourism industry. This will be achieved primarily through knowledge sharing, skills training, compilation and distribution of best practices, and through incentives such as marketing support for sustainable tourism products.

Objectives

To fulfill its mission, members of the STN have identified the following specific objectives:

• Facilitate the exchange of knowledge, experiences and ideas on sustainable tourism between stakeholders and the broader community regional, national and global;
• Develop and continually up-date an information bank of sustainable tourism principles, tools, resources and best practices;
• Generate joint benefits through increased cooperation and partnerships of sustainable tourism stakeholders;
• Provide valuable inputs towards the strengthening of sustainable tourism practices in the tourism policy of Nepal
• Encourage and promote sustainable tourism best practices and sustainable products of Nepal, both nationally and internationally.

Core Values

All members of the STN have a moral obligation to abide by the commitment incorporated in the core values with honesty, sincerity and dedication, and to promote these values among other stakeholders in the tourism industry.

Social Responsibility

Every individual and organization working in the tourism industry must be committed to the betterment of Nepali society, and in particular to host communities in the areas in which they work. As representatives of Nepal we must set a strong positive example by giving back a fair share of what we take.

Environmental Conservation

Nepal's natural environment is our greatest asset, upon which our businesses and jobs ultimately depend. It is therefore vital that we take active measures to protect our natural resources in order to guard against over-exploitation, which would undermine the ability of both current and future generations of Nepalese to benefit from them.

Cultural Preservation

The tourism industry plays an important role promoting inter-cultural contacts. Furthermore, Nepal's rich cultural heritage is a valuable resource in itself. Tourism activities must therefore be developed and managed in close consultation with host communities to guard against exploitation and to ensure that they are protected from unwanted cultural change.

Socio-Economic Balance

Sustainability can only be achieved when there is a fine balance between the society and economic activities.

Cooperation

Development of a sustainable tourism industry cannot be achieved by individuals and organizations working in isolation. To be successful, close co-operation between all stakeholder groups is required.