Nepal’s beautiful
Significant contribution to tourism promotion
Pramila Karki, Nepal News Bank
Kathmandu. Australia’s famous cricketer David Warner made a post on Instagram on November 4 (November 18). The video post attracted the attention of millions of viewers. The video posted by Warner included a view of Mount Everest.
Warner, who was impressed by the natural beauty of Nepal, posted a video and said that it was an incredible experience to see Mount Everest with his own eyes. He had also praised the hospitality, intimacy and love for cricket of Nepalis. Warner is currently playing cricket for the Kathmandu Gorkhas team in the Nepal Premier League (NPL). The NPL is not only limited to the organization and promotion of cricket but also plays an important role in the promotion of Nepal’s tourism.
Sportspersons, coaches and foreigners who have come to Nepal for other purposes like Warner who have come to participate in the NPL have contributed to the promotion of tourism in Nepal.
On social media, some people have posted a view of Mount Everest, while some have posted a picture of a Nepali wearing a Dhaka cap. Some have praised the hospitality and intimacy of Nepalis and portrayed Nepal as a beautiful country.
Such posts of foreigners who have come to Nepal in the context of NPL have created new opportunities in the promotion of Nepal’s tourism. They have come to play cricket on the field, but they are also spreading Nepal’s identity to the international audience through pictures and videos of off-field activities and tourist destinations of Nepal.
West Indies’ Andre Russell posted a picture of himself wearing a Nepali Dhaka cap on social media. The photo received thousands of reactions.
Similarly, England’s Moeen Ali also thanked Nepal and Janakpur Bolts and praised Nepal’s beauty and Nepalis. He wrote on Instagram, “Thank you Nepal and also thank Janakpur Bolts. Amazing country and wonderful people.
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Similarly, former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan played for Karnali Yaks in the first edition of the NPL. During his stay in Nepal, he had posted a video on social media that included scenes including a helicopter ride and meeting Nepalis. Praising the natural beauty of Nepal and the intimacy of Nepalis, he wrote, “The higher the mountains, the warmer and simpler the people of Nepal.” “
These posts are not only memories of the personal visits of the players but also become a medium to introduce Nepal’s natural beauty, culture and hospitality to the international audience. Reaching the millions of fans on social media of the players who are known in world cricket is an important opportunity for tourism promotion.
Surya Thapaliya, Senior Manager of Nepal Tourism Board, describes the NPL as an important opportunity from the point of view of sports tourism.
“Overall, the NPL has become a nationwide national sports festival. It is a positive thing that not only for cricket but for the entire sports sector, it is a positive thing to bring players from abroad and form eight teams and run the tournament on the concept of a league. It has had a good impact on sports as well as sports tourism,” he said.
In a conversation with Nepal News Bank, he said that spectators from outside Kathmandu also come to watch the NPL. He said that since the tournament started immediately after Dashain, the audience also got the opportunity to watch cricket along with traveling during the festival. He said that this has also helped in reviving domestic tourism.
Thapaliya said that the arrival of internationally known players will also make Nepal popular among their fans. He said that reaching the international audience on the social media of the players is an opportunity to promote tourism in itself.
‘As soon as David Warner had a view of Mount Everest, millions of his fans watched it. They saw the beauty of Nepal. In this way, we get a lot of publicity at a small cost, a promotion that will have a big impact,” he said.
According to Thapaliya, NPL has also shown the ability to organize international level sports competitions in Nepal. This will help establish Nepal as a destination for sports tourism. He said that Nepal’s natural beauty and sports organizing capacity can be combined together and presented in the international market.
NPL players visit the tourist areas within the Kathmandu Valley and reach destinations like Pokhara and Chitwan during the holidays. When the photos and videos taken by them during their travels are posted on social media, the identity of these destinations also reaches the international audience.
Organizing a cricket tournament in this way can be a means of promoting Nepal’s tourism along with the development of the sports sector. The popularity of foreign players, their large audience on social media, and Nepal’s natural and cultural heritage can be linked to the NPL as an effective way to promote Nepal’s tourism.
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