Kathmandu, June 4 Stakeholders have stressed on the need to promote coffee tourism in the country. Around 1.2 million hectares of land in the country is suitable for coffee cultivation, with 820,364 hectares moderately suitable, 402,646 hectares suitable, and 61,228 hectares highly suitable for coffee cultivation. As stated by the National Tea and Coffee Development Board, more than 27,000 households are involved in coffee farming in 42 districts of the country. With a high potential for coffee production in the country, stakeholders have stressed on promoting coffee tourism. “There is a good possibility of coffee tourism in Nepal. Coffee farm tours in tourist packages and observation of coffee farms during trekking and hiking could be one of the best experiences for the tourists,” said Bidhya Nath Bhurtel, a researcher on agro tourism. As the government itself is putting an effort on agro tourism, coffee tourism could be one of the products for this sector, he added. As per Bhurtel, coffee tourism is being successfully practiced currently in a few coffee farms of Nuwakot and Kaski districts. A number of tourists and trekkers passing by the area often visit the coffee farms in Nuwakot and Kaski, where they learn about coffee and its farming in Nepal, Bhurtel added. Meanwhile, Gaurab Luitel, agriculture development officer of National Tea and Coffee Development Board, said that the production of coffee is going up each year. Moreover, increasing coffee culture is also contributing in enhancing coffee farming in the country. “Looking at the potential of coffee farming, there is a possibility of coffee tourism in Nepal,” he said. “People are interested to know about coffee farming. This could attract tourists if coffee farming could be promoted as a tourism product.” To promote coffee tourism in Nepal, stakeholders have stressed on bringing coffee farmers, entrepreneurs, and tourism entrepreneurs together to discuss on the potential and possible collaborative opportunities to introduce the concept of coffee tourism to Nepal through a sustainable model. The growing popularity of Nepali coffee internationally coupled with the growing interest in Nepal as a tourism destination presents a ripe opportunity for the coffee tourism concept to take off in the country, Bhurtel added.