Importance of Urban Sanitation for Tourism Promotion in Nepal

Abstract

Background: Tourism in Nepal depends not only on cultural, natural and recreational attractions but also on the quality of the environments in which visitors move, stay and interact. Urban sanitation, including public toilets, solid-waste management, wastewater treatment, drainage and hygiene facilities, is therefore an important component of destination quality.

Objectives: This review examines the importance of urban sanitation for tourism promotion in Nepal, synthesizes evidence linking sanitation with tourist health, satisfaction and destination image, identifies major sanitation challenges, and proposes priorities for tourism-oriented sanitation management.

Methods: An integrative literature review was conducted using recent peer-reviewed, DOI-indexed journal articles, primarily published between 2021 and 2025. Nepal-specific studies were prioritized, while evidence from comparable tourism destinations was used to explain broader sanitation–tourism relationships.

Results: The reviewed evidence indicates that sanitation influences tourism through visitor health and safety, cleanliness, comfort, public-space quality, environmental sustainability and destination image. Nepal-specific studies identify inadequate WASH conditions among international travelers, increasing solid-waste pressures in tourist destinations, wastewater-management challenges, and weaknesses in municipal waste systems.

Conclusion: Urban sanitation should be treated as essential tourism infrastructure rather than solely as a municipal service. Improving public toilets, wastewater treatment, solid-waste collection, cleanliness, drainage and hygiene can strengthen visitor experience while producing wider public-health and environmental benefits.

Novelty: The review integrates sanitation, destination management and tourism promotion into a Nepal-specific framework and proposes a pathway connecting sanitation investment with visitor experience, destination image and sustainable tourism development.