Community Homestay Network (CHN) is inviting Australian travel advisors specialising in immersive and culture-focused travel to apply for a 12-day famil to Upper Mustang, Nepal, running from 5 to 16 December 2026, with applications closing 31 August 2026.
Fam covers ground costs, agents fund flights
Ground arrangements are covered by CHN, though flights are at the agent’s own expense, with limited spaces available. The Upper Mustang: A Trans-Himalayan Community Experience itinerary begins in Kathmandu before travelling by 4WD along the ancient trade route connecting Nepal and Tibet, with stops in Narchyang, Kagbeni, Lubra and the walled city of Lo Manthang, before concluding via Pokhara back to Kathmandu.
The fam coincides with CHN’s launch of its first fixed departure trips for agents to sell, with eight guaranteed-departure itineraries beginning 6 September 2026, and more than 100 multi-day departures now bookable for travel through to December 2027.
Nepal push aligns with government tourism campaign
Shiva Dhakal, CHN founder, said the organisation is looking to grow its Australian agent sales given strong existing demand for immersive travel and improved regional air connectivity. “Nepal has become more accessible with improved air connectivity via multiple regional hubs,” Dhakal said, citing connections through Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Sichuan Airlines, SriLankan Airlines and various Indian carriers.
The initiative aligns with Nepal’s upcoming Visit Nepal 2028 campaign, which targets doubling visitor spending and attracting 2.5 million tourists by 2029, with a focus on community tourism, nature and lesser-visited regions rather than traditional trekking routes.
For advisors selling experiential and community-based travel, the famil offers direct exposure to a new fixed-departure Nepal product ahead of the destination’s broader government-backed tourism push, with CHN’s Nepal-based team providing ongoing logistical and storytelling support for agents selling the itineraries.
