Frist trekking guide training for LGBQI+ community concludes

KATHMANDU, July 27: Trekking guide training organized for participants from the LGBTIQ+ community under the initiative of the Sustainable Tourism Project (STLRP), a joint project of the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and the United Nations Development Program UNDP, a first of its kind held in the capital has concluded.

As many as 25 participants from the LGBTIQ+ community participated in the training organized for the first time in Nepal held over a span of 35 days.

Distributing certificates to the participants, Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Sudan Kiranti, said that the program conducted for sexual and gender minorities is a big achievement in itself. Stating that employment is necessary for all types of people in society, Minister Kirati expressed his belief that this training will help the members of the LGBtIQ+ community to get employment in the tourism sector and open the door to new career possibilities.

“This may seem like a small task, but the message it conveys is huge. Through this, we will convey a positive message to society, create jobs and help the members of the LGBTIQ+ community to come to Nepal from the outside the country as well,” he said.

Kalpana Sarkar, of the UNDP Nepal, said that while there is still a major challenge to bring minorities into the mainstream of society, it is expected that the training will assist in uplifting the livelihood of such groups.

Furthermore, Mani Raj Lamichhane, director of NTB and national program coordinator of the project, informed that the various pieces of training in the field of tourism are being carried out under the project adding that such training will prove to be a milestone in attracting the members of the LGBTIQ+ community around the world to Nepal.