Each year, thousands of religious and spiritual pilgrims and tourists from around the world visit the sacred landscape of Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in the remote southwestern portion of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, travelling across ancient routs through India, Nepal, and the Tibetan Plateau. The region’s rich cultural heritage has become threatened by the impacts of poverty, globalization, and unregulated development, which are also challenging local livelihoods and ecosystems. The impacts of climate change have further compounded these challenges, demanding immediate action to safeguard the irreplaceable natural and cultural heritage of this vast mountain region.
Visitors to the Kailash Sacred Landscape can play an important role in preserving the sanctity, culture, and nature of this unique landscape. This publication provides responsible tourism guidelines for pilgrims coming from South Asia. These guidelines were prepared by ICIMOD through concrete inputs from tour operators and other partners in the Kailash Sacred landscape.