POKHARA, March 17: Pokhara has been officially declared as the tourism capital of Nepal. Despite being recognized as a tourism hub for quite some time, the formal declaration of Pokhara as the country’s tourism capital took place during a special ceremony on Sunday.

According to Dhana Raj Acharya, the Mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City, a ceremony was held at Barahi Ghat, located on the picturesque shores of Phewa Lake, to announce Pokhara as the tourism capital of Nepal, with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal presiding over the event. Pokhara has been designated as the tourism capital based on the fulfillment of criteria across 20 different indicators.

The ceremony also included a tribute to the late esteemed literary figure, linguist, and writer, Prof Dr Mukunda Sharan Upadhyay, the renowned geographer, the late Dr Harka Gurung, as well as the esteemed singer, musician, and writer, Prem Prakash Malla. Various processions were organized at Lakeside's Basundhara Park as part of the event.

Furthermore, the ceremony featured musical performances by senior singer Haridevi Koirala, lead vocalist of the Kandara Band, Bibek Shrestha, singer Pramod Kharel, singer Prakash Saput, Pokhara-based singer Dharmendra Sewan, along with artistic musical presentations from Gandaki/Pokhara Pragya Pratisthan.

Mayor Acharya mentioned that since 2075 BS, extensive studies have been conducted, and given the fact that Pokhara meets all essential criteria for being designated as the tourism capital, declaring it as the tourism capital will help in establishing Pokhara as a recognizable 'brand' on the international stage.

Similarly, Laxmi Basnet, Chief Secretary of Gandaki Province, emphasized that Pokhara will be highlighted as a premier destination, showcasing its unique attributes as the tourism capital of the country. Basnet stated that both the provincial government and the metropolitan city have jointly proclaimed Gandaki Province as the tourism hub and Pokhara as the tourism capital of Nepal, aiming to promote sustainable tourism at national and international levels.

Acharya stressed the importance of tourism promotion activities for the development of the tourism sector, stating that declaring Pokhara as the tourism capital will now facilitate sustainable tourism development, leading to qualitative improvements in living standards, job creation, and significant strides in poverty alleviation through tourism promotion efforts.

 
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