KATHMANDU: The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has taken its pitch for long-stay tourism to one of Asia's premier travel industry platforms, participating in the 5th World Tourism Industry Conference (WTIC 2026) held in Seoul and Suwon, Republic of Korea, from June 4 to 6.

The conference, organised by the International Tourism Forum (TITF) in conjunction with the 41st Seoul International Travel Fair (SITF 2026), brought together tourism leaders, policymakers, and industry stakeholders from across the globe for high-level discussions on the future of travel. Since its inaugural edition in 2022, TITF has hosted successive WTIC gatherings, each addressing a distinct dimension of global tourism development.

This year's theme — "Living-in-Travel: Long-Stay Tourism as a New Business Frontier from Visitors to Temporary Residents" — reflected one of the most significant emerging shifts in global travel behaviour, as destinations increasingly look beyond short-stay visitors toward attracting remote workers, digital nomads, retirees, and extended-stay travellers as a sustainable source of tourism revenue.

NTB Officiating Director Sunil Sharma represented Nepal at the gathering, delivering a presentation that examined the long-stay tourism trend through the lens of Nepal's own potential as a destination. His address drew connections between the global mega-trend and Nepal's unique offering — its natural landscapes, cultural depth, affordability, and growing infrastructure — positioning the country as a compelling proposition for travellers seeking more than a brief visit.

The conference provided a platform to examine long-stay programmes, address emerging challenges in destination management, and advance collaborative frameworks for sustainable tourism development across member countries.

Nepal's participation comes at a time of growing interest in repositioning the country's tourism product beyond peak-season trekking and mountaineering, with wellness tourism, cultural immersion, and extended rural stays increasingly being promoted as complementary pillars of the industry.