KATHMANDU, July 12: Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) held an interaction program with the newly appointed ambassadors to various countries in Kathmandu on Monday. Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Jeevan Ram Shrestha said that Nepali embassies and ambassadors abroad would have to play an important role in the promotion of tourism in Nepal.

Minister Shrestha said that since embassies were the official bodies representing Nepal in foreign countries, it was necessary to spread a positive message about Nepal. He highlighted that everyone needed to work constructively from their places for the promotion of the country.

Secretary at the ministry, Maheshwor Neupane, said that the ambassadors played an important role in building the image of the country at the international level. He added that the ministry and the board were always ready for coordination and cooperation with the embassies.

Newly appointed Nepali Ambassador to Japan, Durga Bahadur Subedi, Sarmila Parajuli Dhakal for Spain, Sushil Lamsal for Egypt, Harish Chandra Ghimire for Myanmar, Bharat Raj Regmi for Austria, Kanta Rijal for Israel, Dan Bahadur Tamang for South Africa and others stressed the need for organizing different promotional activities for the promotion of Nepal, arrange adequate budget for programs that are held abroad and coordinate with the embassies during such programs.

Understanding the importance of air connectivity for the development of tourism in Nepal, they suggested coordination among embassies, ministries, boards and other agencies to make the programs that are organized in foreign countries effective. Similarly, the newly appointed ambassadors expressed the view that they would make maximum use of their tenure for the economic development of the nation and work for the expansion of investment, technology and mutual relations within the country.

Chand Rijal, Vice-chairman of the NTB, said that as the board has its limitations, the embassies should coordinate and cooperate accordingly. Chief Executive Officer of NTB, Dr Dhananjay Regmi discussed the programs carried out by the NTB following the COVID-19 pandemic and other plans.

Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Pradip Adhikari said that since Nepal has been declared a safe deviation in terms of aviation as per the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, the ambassadors should by breaking the preconceived notions regarding the air security in Nepal motivate people to travel to Nepal.

President of Airline Operators Association of Nepal (AOCN) Captain Rameshwar Thapa, First Vice President of Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) Binayak Shah, President of Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATA) Ramesh Thapa, President of Travel Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) Khum Bahadur Subedi, and others, agreeing that Nepal was an ideal destination for tourism, said that the country was ready to host around 2.5 million tourists.

 
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