KATHMANDU:- US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs has said that American technology can play a significant role in Nepal’s mountaineering.

At the ‘The Ascent Summit’ organized by the US Embassy in Nepal here today, Deputy Secretary Rogers emphasized the need to further strengthen innovation, tourism and technology cooperation between the US and Nepal.

She said that America is not only a land of prosperity and opportunity, but also a nation built on the spirit of courage, exploration, and innovation, adding that the mountains, and especially Mount Everest, have inspired adventure tourists and mountaineers from around the world.

She recalled the historic moment when American mountaineer Jim Whittaker climbed Mount Everest with Nepali Sherpa Nawang Gombu in 1963, and said that it further deepened Nepal-US relations. According to her, even after more than six decades, the relationship between the two countries continues to strengthen through tourism, education, business, technology, and people-to-people exchanges.

Under Secretary of State Rogers noted that security systems, communication equipment, drone technology, and modern expedition management technologies developed by American companies are useful for the Himalayan tourism sector. He said that such technologies will make a significant contribution to search and rescue, weather preparedness, logistics management, and mountaineering safety.

She said that Nepal had welcomed more than 1.15 million international tourists in 2025, and out of that, about 1.12 million tourists came to Nepal from the United States alone, adding that American tourists have made a significant contribution to Nepal’s tourism industry, hotel business, guide services, and local economy.

Describing Nepal as a trusted partner of the United States, Rogers made it clear that the United States is committed to expanding cooperation in the areas of innovation, entrepreneurship, education, and secure technology solutions. He said that the mountains teach the world lessons of courage, patience, and cooperation, and that these same values ​​are also guiding Nepal-US relations.

“Success in the mountains is not just about reaching the summit, but also about who you travel with,” he said. “The United States looks forward to proudly advancing our 79-year-old friendship with Nepal and scaling more peaks of success together in the future.”

On the occasion, Sumnima Udas, Chairperson of the International Relations and Tourism Committee under the House of Representatives, said that Mount Everest is one of the most important foundations of Nepal’s international identity, national pride and economic prosperity.

She mentioned that Mount Everest has played an incomparable role in establishing Nepal’s identity before the world.

Chairman Udas said that mountain tourism is an important pillar of Nepal’s economy and that it is making a significant contribution to the livelihood of airlines, hotels, restaurants, travel companies, guides, porters, local businesses and the Himalayan communities. He said that every year thousands of foreign tourists, mountaineers, researchers, filmmakers and adventure travelers come to Nepal due to the attraction of the mountains.

She opined that despite the impact on Nepal’s overall tourism sector due to the crisis in West Asia, the relatively stable mountaineering activity proved that Nepal’s global attraction towards mountain tourism is still strong.

President Udas said that climate change is having a serious impact on the Himalayan region, with glaciers melting rapidly, old climbing routes changing, and environmental challenges increasing. “Our mountains have made Nepal known to the world. Now it is our common responsibility to protect them,” he said.

She pointed out the need to seriously address issues of waste management, crowd control, environmental sustainability and mountain safety. He said that collaboration between the government, private sector, local communities and international partners is indispensable in the areas of climate research, search and rescue, environmental protection, tourism standards and mountain safety.

Emphasizing the importance of transparency and accountability in the tourism sector, she said that some past incidents related to fake rescue flights and safety standards have affected Nepal’s international image. Informing that the government and tourism stakeholders are working together to address such challenges, she opined that all parties should be responsible for further strengthening Nepal’s reputation.

Chairman Udas informed that a new tourism bill was recently registered in the parliament and said that the bill is a historic opportunity for Nepal’s tourism sector. “Our aim is not just to regulate tourism, but to build the future of Nepal’s tourism,” he said.

She emphasized the need to formulate policies that directly benefit local communities from tourism, expand economic opportunities along with environmental protection, and establish Nepal as the world’s leading sustainable mountain tourism destination.

Stating that Mount Everest teaches humanity important lessons of partnership, trust, and cooperation, he emphasized that Nepal should use Mount Everest in the future not just as a tourist destination, but as a common platform for international friendship, environmental protection, economic prosperity, and expanding people-to-people relations.