KATHMANDU, May 15: Nepal is hosting Himalayan Travel Mart (HTM) 2018 in Kathmandu on June 1-3, the organizers said in a press meet held on Monday.
The three-day event is being organized with the theme 'Nepal, Gateway to Himalaya'.
Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) is organizing the event in association with Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Nepal Chapter and Nepal Airlines Corporation along with number of travel trade associations and private enterprises.
Stage set for Himalayan Travel Mart
Speaking at the press meet, Sunil Sakya, president of PATA Nepal Chapter, said that around 225 delegates from 53 different countries are attending the event. Likewise, there will be more than 350 local participants, he added.
“As a unique B2B (Business to Business) event for the Himalayan tourism industry, HTM 2018 will have a remarkable gathering of global buyers, Himalayan sellers, travel bloggers, influencers, national and international media, travel industry professionals and delegates from several countries,” said Sakya.
According to the organizers, more than 100 international travel bloggers, more than 15 high value speakers, 74 international buyers, more than 50 sellers from Nepal and international market along with 1,500 pre-matched business appointments are the major attractions of the event. The event has been divided into three phases. The first phase will be Himalayan Travel Mart (HTM) Conference. Similarly, there will be International Travel Bloggers & Media Conference (ITBMC) in the second phase, while there will be Buyers & Sellers Meet (Business Sessions) in the third phase.
Speaking at the press meet, Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO of NTB, said that HTM 2018 is being organized with three major motives. "The first is to establish Nepal as a gateway to every Himalayan region across the world. Secondly, renowned speakers and bloggers, who are participating in the event, are expected to promote Nepal and its tourism potentials in the international market," he said, adding: "Third is the business session which we think will be fruitful for both buyers and sellers."
According to the organizers, HTM 2018 is expected to provide all buyers and sellers a platform for networking, and to share knowledge, valuable insights and business opportunities.
The organizers are hopeful that HTM 2018 will play a vital role in achieving the target of 'Vision Five Million' campaign that aims to bring five million tourists to Nepal by 2030.
“We believe that the event like HTM will pave the way by building foundation in achieving the targets set by the government in Vision 2020 document,” a statement issued by the organizers read.
