The origin of Kathmandu Valley, often referred to as Nepal Valley, dates back two thousand years. There are about a hundred and forty hamlets and four distinct towns within the Valley, of which Kathmandu is the biggest and the current capital of Nepal. Many myths and stories relate the establishment of these towns. Although there are strong religious ideologies that structure the towns’ organization, one can clearly see the influence of trade and tourism in the development pattern; the greater significance of Kathmandu as compared to neighboring towns can be attributed to its strategic location on the trade route between India and Tibet. Most of the towns flourished along trade routes. Traders and pilgrims - also tourists - of that time brought in wealth, information and knowledge, validating the assumption that the conglomeration of important temples, palaces, market squares and rest-houses on the trade route was an attempt to strengthen and enhance the experience of "foreigners".

Modern Kathmandu Valley, in this respect, is no different than what it used to be. The historic lines may waver, and the political dynasties might have broken off altogether, but the present continues to remain firmly bonded with the past. For one, the ancestral monuments of the Valley are by no means disconnected. A major factor responsible for this continuum is the growth of ‘Tourism’. Or should I say, it is this very synthesis of the past and present that gives to the Kathmandu Valley the charm — or perhaps more properly, the mystique — that captivates most tourists who make their way there from around the globe. It has the only international airport of the Kingdom that serves as the gateway to the Valley as well as the other tourist destinations of Nepal. As a result, it has the most developed tourist infrastructure within the country and is increasingly engaging inhabitants and migrants from neighboring states/countries in this business. Above all, Kathmandu has the largest proportion of tourist entrepreneurs who have their businesses networked all over Nepal — in mountaineering, pilgrimage sites and safaris — operated and/or managed by hoteliers and travel-agents in the Valley. Besides economic and social impacts, tourism has had a strong influence in the Valley's physical growth patterns.