POKHARA With Nepal 's snowy Himalayan peaks as a backdrop, the sky above Pokhara transformed into a vibrant canvas of colours for the country's first hot-air balloon festival. Tourism is a major earner for Nepal, which saw over a million foreign visitors this year after a post-pandemic bounceback, and investments are being made in hotels and airports to cater to travellers. "We felt that we must bring a balloon festival like this to Nepal," Sabin Maharjan, an organiser of the event, told AFP.