Nepal, a country known as 'a Trekkers' Paradise' is currently thrust into the media spotlight, as banner headlines and television images focus on the dramatic events in the streets and the recent outbreaks of violence at the hub of the Olympics.

Alongside, this there is also an emerging tourism trend coming out from the underground. The Nepalese tourist board came under the spotlight in an article in The Economist entitled - Tourism in Nepal: From Treks to Sex.

According The Economist, the Nepalese government seems to be encouraging the growth of the sex industry: "with an advertisement for "Wild Stag Weekends", the Nepal Tourism Board offers this advice: "Don't forget to have a drink at one of the local dance bars, where beautiful Nepali belles will dance circles around your pals."

The Nepalese tourist board has denied this promotion.

The Economist continues, "In a country with a rich tradition of dance, where paying for sex is illegal, this might be harmless innuendo. But not everybody thinks so. During the recently-ended civil war, Nepal's Himalayan tourism industry collapsed. Some activists think that sex tourism is replacing it. According to John Frederick, an expert on South Asia's sex trade, "Ten years ago the sex industry was underground in Nepal. Now it's like Bangkok, it's like Phnom Penh."

We are asked: Is a new sort of thrill-seeker heading for Nepal?