Nepal Tourism Board celebrates silver jubilee

KATHMANDU: Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) held a ceremony to mark its 25th anniversary in Kathmandu on December 31, 2023.

Various government officials, partner organisations, travel and tour operators, individuals working in the tourism industry, and media representatives were present at the event held at Rastriya Sabha Griha.

Addressing the opening ceremony, NTB CEO Dhananjay Regmi said, "We are aware that for the past three years or so, we have faced several challenges in the tourism industry due to Covid19 pandemic, but now the situation is slowly improving. We have succeeded in bringing more than one million tourists to Nepal." He praised the cooperation of its stakeholders.

Likewise, NTB Vice Chairman Chandra Prasad Rijal expressed his pleasure, "In 2053 BS, we started NTB in a Public-Private Partnership model and today we are celebrating its 25th anniversary."

Dipendra Purush Dhakal, First Vice Chairman of NTB, appreciated the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Sudan Kirati, and said the combination of the minister and the ministry secretary was perfect. He encouraged everyone to take full advantage of this. "The leadership of these two individuals will lead to greater initiatives," he stated and expressed his wish that he had worked under the leadership of Minister Kirati during his tenure as secretary.

On the occasion, Tourism Minister Kirati stated that tourism is the backbone of economic development and opined that tourism must be blended with unique Nepali culture and traditions. He stressed working in the present rather than worrying about the future. "Let's not worry about the future, work on the present, make it better, the future will automatically be even better," he said.

Tourism entrepreneur Yogendra Shakya, who was the coordinator for the Visit Nepal Year 2011 programme, said that since the government last announced the tourism decade 2022-2033 to bring in 3.5 million tourists annually, a clear strategy should be made to ensure its success and should be followed accordingly.

At the event, senior tourism professional Ambica Shrestha, who contributed to the development and expansion of the organisation, various diplomats from China and India, international non-governmental organisations (INGOs), United Nations Development Programme Nepal, United States Agencies for International Development Nepal, World Wildlife Fund Nepal and other tourism-related organisations such as Hotel Association Nepal (HAN), Nepal Association of Tours and Travel Agents (NATTA), Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN), Nepal Association of Rafting Agencies (NARA), and other organisations from private sector and various personalities affiliated with NTB were given special honours.

Similarly, NTB’s staff, senior director Nandani Lae Thapa, promoter Bimal Kadel, and staff members Kalyani Gautam and Jhamak Narayan Ghimire were honoured for 25 years of their continuous support.

On the occasion, NTB, the organisation that provides a platform for vision-driven leadership for Nepal's tourism sector by integrating Government commitment with the dynamism of the private sector, released a yearly book 'Infocus 2023'.