Of tourism and pioneers

The demise of Basanta Mishra, a pioneer and champion of modern tourism in Nepal, on October 20, 2024, came as a jolt to many. They have been expressing their grief and thoughts about him. Personally, the news deeply shook me. Mishra was my English literature student at Patan college nearly half a century ago, shortly after I joined teaching. He was a talented young man, who had already begun working in some ways in the domain opened up by tourism in Nepal. He was a friend who shared his fresh visions about tourism, ecology and the humanism associated with that. Always bright, creative and vigilant, Mishra kept up his great spirit by working as a promoter and pioneer of some important ways of promoting tourism in Nepal.

Those involved in…