Nepal's most iconic symbol - Mount Everest, the world's highest peak - and other tall mountains attract tens of thousands of foreign tourists, particularly from Western Europe, the United States and Japan.
Home to eight of the highest mountains in the world, the Himalayan nation has been a paradise for adventure seekers offering them ultimate challenges.
As the country emerges from a decade-long civil war between security forces and Maoists, tourism officials here believe it is now time to showcase the country's other cultural riches to the world.
Nepal, home to the birthplace of Lord Buddha and a number of the most sacred Hindu sites, wants to attract visitors interested in its rich history and culture.
"We are now targeting new economies like China, India, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand," says Sushil Ghimire, Secretary of the Nepal Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
He explains that not only are these nations close to Nepal, but they also "share similar socio-cultural conditions".
Important industry
The tourism sector is a key contributor to Nepal's economic growth.
Despite its political instability and poor infrastructure, the country attracted nearly 600,000 foreign tourists in 2012, a 10% cent increase on the previous year.
The industry provides employment to more than 750,000 people in a country where the unemployment rate is more than 45%.
Last year the tourism sector earned revenues of $370m (£245m) - nearly 3% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).
It is also the second biggest foreign income earner after remittances from abroad by Nepalese workers.
And these numbers are likely to increase in the coming years.
The number of Chinese visiting Nepal has seen a big jump with nearly 75,000 tourists coming to thecountry last year, a 60% increase from the previous year.
Tourist numbers from Nepal's other giant neighbour, India, are also on the rise.
While their focus is on attracting a new segment of tourists, officials are also trying hard to provide more options for their existing adventure tourists, who constitute about 40% of the market.
Last year, they introduced a "Guerrilla Trail", a trek through the battle grounds of the country's bloody war with Maoist rebels, which ended in 2006.