reader Posted May 12 Posted May 12 From Malaysia Sun KATHMANDU, Nepal - Nepal has hosted its first international LGBTIQ tourism conference. Following the spectacular success of a legally recognized same-sex marriage in November, Nepal wants a piece of the multibillion-dollar pink market. "Forget about Nepal's skewed past. We now aspire to create more just and equal societies." "Let the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, or queer (LGBTIQ) have equal economic opportunities," urged Sunil Babu Pant, Asia's first openly homosexual former politician, at a conference in Kathmandu. A few years ago, it was typical to see police beating gay and transgender people on the streets. "After over two decades of legal fights, the law and society have finally embraced the LGBTIQ community. We're in the second phase, which requires equal economic opportunities." "For this, we need to attract LGBTIQ tourists worldwide," Pant said. The conference was announced following the successful marriage registration of Surendra Pandey and Maya Gurung, the first same-sex couple to be officially recognized in Nepal, on November 29, 2023, following years of legal battles. Their legally recognized same-sex marriage is the first of its type in South Asia and is a significant turning point for LGBTIQ rights. The decision of the court reads: "No one has the right to question how two adults perform sexual intercourse and whether this intercourse is natural or unnatural and that the way the right to privacy is secured to two heterosexual individuals in sexual intercourse, it is equally secured to the people of third gender who have a different gender identity and sexual orientation." In her presentation titled 'LGBTI Tourism Global Overview and its Contribution to the Economy,' Diane Anderson-Minshall, CEO and chief storyteller of GO Magazine, stated that LGBTIQ, or pink tourism, is a travel sector with a lot of wealth and spending power. She stated that "rainbow tourism" not only offers economic prosperity but also provides an opportunity to promote inclusiveness and empowerment within the LGBTIQ community. "By integrating them into the national economy, we create employment opportunities and contribute to the nation's overall prosperity." tm_nyc and unicorn 1 1 Quote
macaroni21 Posted May 12 Posted May 12 It may make for good copy, but do people seriously think that legalising same-sex marriage makes a country an LGBT tourist destination? I don't hear about LGBT tourists flocking to Uruguay, South Africa or Slovenia - legal in those places too. Nepal needs much better infrastructure and attractions than it currently has to attract more tourists. A lively scene with stripper bars, massage parlours aplenty, and perhaps a White Party for the younger party set would be what's needed to set it apart. But I don't see it happening. At the very least, a nice mountain village that serves as a gay enclave, with pretty cottages and modern conveniences, staffed with good-looking houseboys, willing to please... hmmm, that may be a start. Quote
Moses Posted May 12 Posted May 12 2 hours ago, macaroni21 said: A lively scene with stripper bars, massage parlours aplenty, and perhaps a White Party for the younger party set would be what's needed to set it apart. But I don't see it happening. At the very least, a nice mountain village that serves as a gay enclave, with pretty cottages and modern conveniences, staffed with good-looking houseboys, willing to please... hmmm, that may be a start. It sounds like sex-tourism for gays, not LGBT-tourism. unicorn 1 Quote
Members unicorn Posted May 13 Members Posted May 13 15 hours ago, macaroni21 said: It may make for good copy, but do people seriously think that legalising same-sex marriage makes a country an LGBT tourist destination? I don't hear about LGBT tourists flocking to Uruguay, South Africa or Slovenia - legal in those places too. Nepal needs much better infrastructure and attractions than it currently has to attract more tourists. A lively scene with stripper bars, massage parlours aplenty, and perhaps a White Party for the younger party set would be what's needed to set it apart. But I don't see it happening. At the very least, a nice mountain village that serves as a gay enclave, with pretty cottages and modern conveniences, staffed with good-looking houseboys, willing to please... hmmm, that may be a start. Well, my fiance and I are much more likely to visit countries which show a welcoming attitude towards the LGBT community. I have certainly visited Uruguay, South Africa, and Slovenia (lovely countries). The presence of stripper bars and so on doesn't enter into my calculation as to which countries I visit. Plenty of that available where I live. Rarely will we visit countries which are hostile to the LGBT community. Egypt is the only one so far, and that's because the sights there are unique and spectacular. I do not see us traveling to any red/orange/brown/tan countries (yellow have anti-gay laws which aren't enforced): Quote
Marc in Calif Posted May 13 Posted May 13 On 5/12/2024 at 8:20 AM, macaroni21 said: Nepal needs much better infrastructure and attractions than it currently has to attract more tourists. A lively scene with stripper bars, massage parlours aplenty, and perhaps a White Party for the younger party set would be what's needed to set it apart. I can just imagine your White Party "code" rankings for participants' clothing. And for the mindless music. And the skin colors on display. Quote
