Professionalism of Tourism in Sudurpaschim Province of Nepal

Abstract

This paper examines the professionalism of tourism in Sudurpaschim province of Nepal. Tourism is a multidimensional discipline which covers various tourism-related phenomenon- accommodation, food and beverage services, recreation and entertainment, transportation, and travel services. All these sectors require competent, efficient and skilled human resources to provide better services. In order to gain all these skills for professionalism employees get training, education and code of ethics through different organizations. So, professionalism of tourism is a process of obtaining competencies, skills, qualifications, and experiences for working effectively and appropriately in tourism sector. This paper is based on both primary and secondary data sources. Primary data are collected from semi-structured questionnaire, field observation, and key informants survey. Secondary data are collected from various sources- published and unpublished documents, journals and e-resources. The finding indicates that Sudurpaschim Province is a potential tourism development area. Its pristine natural and cultural diversities provide foundations for tourism development that encompass sites for emerging both religious and secular contexts. However, professionalism of tourism is a prerequisite for success in tourism industry. It supports to enhance knowledge, skills and practice through education and training programs. It requires a strong policy effort for identifying the effective professionalism that needs for increasing entrepreneurs' skills. It can only be achieved by the collective actions of professional organizations, state government and local governments.