Turning World Cup 2026 fever into Nepal's tourism future

Turning World Cup 2026 fever into Nepal's tourism future examines how global football excitement could be leveraged beyond short-lived mega-event hopes. The article frames a recurring question for Nepal: when it can host events at World Cup scale, and what that would mean for tourism and the economy. It argues that the better approach is not imitation, but adaptation to Nepal’s existing strengths, including mountains, trekking routes, and spiritual landscapes. Drawing on global evidence, it says smaller recurring, trail-based sports events such as marathons, trail runs and cycling races can drive growth, strengthen destination identity, and support rural transformation. It contrasts mega events that often create uneven, concentrated impacts with trail-centered models that sustain visitor flows throughout the year. The piece cites regions in Canada, Australia and New Zealand as examples of using trails with carefully designed events to keep participation and spending spread across accommodation, transport, guiding and local products, rather than a few sectors.