Homestays reshape tourism identity of Dagam village in Tanahun

Dagam, in Shuklagandaki-2 in Tanahun, has developed into an attractive stop for rural tourism, according to reports carried by Ratopati and Reporters Nepal on 26 September 2026. The draw, the reports say, is the Magar community's distinctive culture and dress, its customs and traditional way of life, dishes made from local produce and the warmth of the welcome guests receive. The village came onto the map for domestic travellers after VITOF Gandaki, the provincial chapter of a forum that promotes village tourism, recommended it as a destination village. The forum picks three villages for that label each year. Its chair, Ramesh Aryal, said the effort to link villages with tourism is part of a campaign built on the idea that every village is a tourist spot. Of Dagam's 23 households, 20 belong to Magar families and three to Gurung families. A community homestay was set up in Dagam on local initiative in 2065 BS, after residents went to see Sirubari village. Visitors now arrive from Pokhara, Bhairahawa, Butwal, Narayangadh and Kathmandu. Homestay coordinator Nanda Thapa said the village offers views of the surrounding hills and of a stretch of the Himalaya running from the peaks of Dhaulagiri to Ganesh Himal, all visible from a single spot. Guests are fed dishes prepared from millet, maize, taro and nettle, along with honey produced in the village, Thapa said. Krishnaraj Pandit, chief of Shuklagandaki Municipality, said the homestay is being developed as a national and provincial priority. To mark World Tourism Day, VITOF Gandaki has organised a homestay promotion programme in Dagam.