The role of diplomatic missions and diaspora community in promoting tourism development : a case study of Finland and Nepal
Khadka, Sanu Babu (2025)
2025
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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025121034483
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025121034483
Tiivistelmä
This thesis explores the key role of diplomatic missions and diaspora community in promoting tourism development by focusing on how such missions and diaspora events help to promote Nepal as a tourism destination in Finland. The study focuses on how state actors such as Embassy of Nepal and the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and non- state actors including diaspora communities and cultural associations contribute to the Nepal's tourism image in abroad. The significance of the topic is because tourism diplomacy has emerged as a crucial instrument for nations like Nepal looking to improve their standing abroad, draw tourists, and develop soft-power ties to deploy diplomatic missions and diaspora community for the multisectoral tourism development of Nepal.
The theoretical ideas of tourism, public and diaspora diplomacy, as well as destination branding serve as the foundation for this study. Semi-structured interviews with the Head of diplomatic mission of Nepal to Nordic countries (Denmark), Head of the development cooperation of the Embassy of Finland, Kathmandu, a member of the Helsinki City Council, the president of non-residential Nepalese associations (NRNA), the president of Finnish-Nepalese society (FNS) and diaspora media in Finland (Editor in chief of Nepalilainen) were conducted according to a qualitative research strategy. Additionally, a content analysis of Finnish travel agencies, as well as NTB's MATKA Fair 2025 official press release and promotional materials were examined as secondary data.
The results show that although the Nepalese Embassy has a strategic and symbolic role, its reach in Finland is limited by distance and resource constraints. On the other hand, through several events of diaspora community actively promote Nepal's socio- cultural visibility. Other tourist categories are under-represented in Finnish travel agents' promotion of Nepal as an adventure and trekking destination. The study concludes that Nepal's tourism promotion in Finland may be greatly improved by increased digital outreach, regular participation in tourism fairs, and better cooperation between state- and non-state actor agencies.
The theoretical ideas of tourism, public and diaspora diplomacy, as well as destination branding serve as the foundation for this study. Semi-structured interviews with the Head of diplomatic mission of Nepal to Nordic countries (Denmark), Head of the development cooperation of the Embassy of Finland, Kathmandu, a member of the Helsinki City Council, the president of non-residential Nepalese associations (NRNA), the president of Finnish-Nepalese society (FNS) and diaspora media in Finland (Editor in chief of Nepalilainen) were conducted according to a qualitative research strategy. Additionally, a content analysis of Finnish travel agencies, as well as NTB's MATKA Fair 2025 official press release and promotional materials were examined as secondary data.
The results show that although the Nepalese Embassy has a strategic and symbolic role, its reach in Finland is limited by distance and resource constraints. On the other hand, through several events of diaspora community actively promote Nepal's socio- cultural visibility. Other tourist categories are under-represented in Finnish travel agents' promotion of Nepal as an adventure and trekking destination. The study concludes that Nepal's tourism promotion in Finland may be greatly improved by increased digital outreach, regular participation in tourism fairs, and better cooperation between state- and non-state actor agencies.