Nepal, Jan. 23 -- This is Visit Nepal year. If the promotion boards popping up around the country have not made their mark, the repeated gaffes surrounding the promotion of Visit Nepal 2020 has surely informed everyone with an interest in Nepal that this year is for tourism. But even as the country's tourism sector faces the major hurdle of doubling tourist numbers in this crucial year, the Nepal Tourism Board remains without a chief executive to lead the charge.

This is troubling; more so because the tourism board was envisioned as a non-political body (half of its board comprising of private sector representatives) solely charged with boosting Nepal's standing with travellers. Yet, political interests have seeped in through the cracks,...