The Meaningful Tourism Innovation Lab Nepal (MTIL Nepal) is the national hub for advancing Meaningful Tourism through innovation, collaboration, and practical capacity-building. Based in Lalitpur, in the historic Kathmandu Valley, MTIL Nepal connects tourism stakeholders across the country with global expertise, funding opportunities, and cutting-edge tools – including the use of AI – to create more resilient, sustainable, and value-driven tourism.

MTIL Nepal acts as a nexus for communication and collaboration in the tourism sector. It brings together tourism businesses (such as hotels, tour operators, attractions, transport companies, and destination management organisations), local and regional authorities, communities, educational institutions, researchers, development partners, and investors. The shared goal is to help the tourism sector in Nepal survive and thrive in challenging times, while making smart and responsible use of new opportunities – especially those offered by AI – within the Meaningful Tourism framework.

MTIL Nepal is part of a growing global network of Meaningful Tourism Innovation Labs, working closely with the Meaningful Tourism Centre (MTC), MTIL Dhaka in Bangladesh, MTIL West Africa in Ghana, and a broad and growing circle of international strategic partners. Through this network, knowledge, tools, and experiences are shared across regions and sectors, positioning Nepal as a leading example of Meaningful Tourism in practice.

MTIL Nepal provides practical support to tourism companies, organisations, and destinations to improve both the quantity and quality of their business and their brand. It offers Meaningful Tourism tools and methods to analyse and enhance tourism products and stakeholder benefits, guidance to achieve Meaningful Tourism Movement Membership at three certification levels, and assistance in brand positioning, product development, and guest experience design under the Meaningful Tourism approach. MTIL Nepal also supports stakeholders in integrating AI and digital innovation in responsible and useful ways that fit the local context.

As part of the broader MTIL framework, MTIL Nepal serves as a platform for joint applications for third-party funding, subsidies, and tenders. Together with MTC and other national or international partners, MTIL Nepal can collaborate with stakeholders to apply for grants, co-design pilot projects and innovation initiatives, and develop destination-level programmes, including capacity-building, product innovation, and community-based tourism. Where feasible, MTIL Nepal supports efforts to secure funding or succeed in tenders from national and regional government bodies, international development organisations, private foundations, corporate partners, and tourism or innovation support schemes.

MTIL Nepal benefits from ongoing support from MTC and the global MTIL network through continuous PR and marketing online and offline, the provision of training materials and toolkits, and the organisation of online trainings, webinars, and podcasts. It also participates in fairs and tourism events and is part of the annual global MTIL conferences and network meetings. Through these activities, partners of MTIL Nepal gain increased visibility in both national and international arenas and become part of a recognised global movement for Meaningful Tourism.

MTIL Nepal Secretariat is led by Ms. Sapana Adhikari, who serves as the full-time Secretary of the Meaningful Tourism Innovation Lab Nepal. She coordinates stakeholder communication and networking, organises events and trainings, manages project documentation and follow-up, and acts as the main liaison with national and international MTIL partners. She is the first point of contact for information on membership, collaboration, events, and project opportunities with MTIL Nepal.

By engaging with MTIL Nepal, tourism businesses, destinations, and communities can strengthen their resilience and competitiveness in a rapidly changing tourism landscape. They can position themselves within the Meaningful Tourism Movement, benefit from global expertise, tools, and visibility, and access partnership and funding opportunities that might be difficult to obtain alone. Above all, working with MTIL Nepal allows stakeholders to contribute to a form of tourism that is beneficial, fair, and meaningful for all key stakeholders: guests, hosts, employees, companies, governments, and the environment.

The Meaningful Tourism Innovation Lab Bangladesh is the second dedicated Meaningful Tourism research and innovation hub worldwide. It has been established through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Meaningful Tourism Movement and the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Daffodil International University (DIU). Housed on DIU’s renowned “green campus” outside Dhaka, and supported by the university with the largest number of tourism and hospitality students in Bangladesh – and the only one equipped with dedicated Tourism and Hospitality Labs – MTIL Bangladesh is uniquely positioned to shape the future of the country’s tourism development.

Our vision is to support Bangladesh in becoming a leading example of Meaningful Tourism: tourism that creates tangible benefits for all key stakeholders – visitors, residents, employees, entrepreneurs, governments and the environment – and that avoids the mistakes made by many established destinations. Bangladesh is still largely untouched by international tourism, providing a rare opportunity to design its tourism growth from the outset along sustainable, inclusive and meaningful lines.

Bangladesh is strategically placed to emerge as a strong inbound tourism destination, with half of the world’s population living within a four-hour flight radius. The country offers rich cultural and historical heritage, exceptional natural landscapes and biodiversity, and warm, hospitable communities. Tourism development remains at an early stage, but this latecomer position can become a competitive strength: Bangladesh can build a Meaningful Tourism Economy from the ground up and get it right from the beginning.

MTIL Bangladesh focuses on research and innovation, developing new approaches, products and tools that reflect Meaningful Tourism principles and the specific context of Bangladesh. It is committed to capacity building and education by training students, professionals and public-sector stakeholders, and by integrating Meaningful Tourism concepts into higher education and professional development. The Lab also facilitates stakeholder dialogue and networking by hosting forums, workshops and expert exchanges, and it designs and implements pilot projects that demonstrate practical, scalable examples of meaningful and sustainable tourism across the country.

MTIL Bangladesh welcomes collaboration from national and local government bodies, tourism boards and destination management organisations, tourism businesses and entrepreneurs, NGOs and community groups, researchers, educators, students, and international organisations and donors. For partnerships, research collaboration or project inquiries, interested stakeholders are invited to contact the Meaningful Tourism Innovation Lab Bangladesh at the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Daffodil International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

  Media Coverage

• The Financial Express – Meaningful Tourism: Key to Unlocking Bangladesh’s Tourism Potential
• Daily Sun – Daffodil University Hosts Roundtable with Tourism Stakeholders
• The Business Standard – Experts Urge Shift Towards Sustainable, High-Value Tourism
• YouTube – Meaningful Tourism: Perspectives on Planning and Sustainability

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MTIL Ghana is the first Meaningful Tourism Innovation Lab in Africa, established through a newly signed Memorandum of Understanding with the African Tourism Research Network (ATRN), a respected tourism NGO based in Ghana. This partnership positions Ghana as the West African hub for Meaningful Tourism – a model that focuses on creating balanced benefits for local residents, visitors, employees, entrepreneurs, the environment, and governments.

MTIL Ghana is hosted and implemented by the African Tourism Research Network (ATRN), a well-established organisation with a strong track record in tourism research, community engagement, and sustainable destination development in Ghana and the wider region. With deep local knowledge and regional reach, ATRN provides the foundation for piloting and scaling Meaningful Tourism approaches across West Africa.

The lab is led by Emmanuel Frimpong, a Certified Trainer of the Meaningful Tourism Centre for several years, who brings extensive experience in tourism capacity-building, training, and project implementation. His strong connections with local communities, tourism SMEs, and public authorities, combined with a practical understanding of African tourism realities, ensure that MTIL Ghana operates as a hands-on innovation space where Meaningful Tourism concepts are turned into concrete actions.

MTIL Ghana focuses on building knowledge, capacity, and innovation in tourism through a range of activities. These include Meaningful Tourism workshops and certified training programmes for tourism professionals, SMEs, destination management organisations, and public agencies, as well as tailored capacity-building support for community-based tourism initiatives and youth interested in tourism careers. In addition, MTIL Ghana engages in applied research on visitor behaviour, community benefits, and destination competitiveness, and offers advisory services for destinations, NGOs, and private sector partners seeking to design and implement Meaningful Tourism strategies.

As an innovation lab, MTIL Ghana also tests and develops new tourism products, business models, and community partnerships in real-life settings. Pilot projects are designed to demonstrate how tourism can generate tangible benefits for host communities while enhancing visitor experiences and protecting the environment. Successful pilots are documented and scaled up within Ghana and shared with partners across West Africa.

MTIL Ghana is embedded in the global network of Meaningful Tourism Innovation Labs (MTILs) coordinated by the Meaningful Tourism Centre. As the third MTIL worldwide and the first in Africa, it serves as a reference point for future labs planned in Africa and Asia. Through this international network, MTIL Ghana exchanges experiences with labs in other regions, contributes African perspectives to global tourism debates, and supports partners interested in establishing their own Meaningful Tourism Innovation Labs.

The lab serves a wide range of stakeholders in the tourism ecosystem, including tourism SMEs and entrepreneurs, destination management organisations and local authorities, hotels, tour operators, attractions, and community-based tourism initiatives. MTIL Ghana also collaborates with universities, TVET institutions, tourism students, NGOs, and development partners working at the intersection of tourism and community development, creating a platform for dialogue, learning, and joint projects.

Based in Ghana, MTIL Ghana has a West Africa-wide mandate, building a strong national showcase while working with partners throughout the sub-region. By anchoring the first African Meaningful Tourism Innovation Lab in Ghana, MTIL Ghana aims to position West Africa as a leader in tourism that is not only sustainable, but truly meaningful – delivering lasting value for visitors, businesses, local communities, and the natural and cultural heritage of the region.