The main objective of the Himalayan Travel Mart, held from June 1-4 in Kathmandu was to establish Nepal as a “Gateway to the Himalayas.” The outcome desired was to place the nation in a positive light in the global arena as a destination capable of hosting events at the international level.
The event saw participation from 74 buyers from 36 countries, and over 50 sellers, representing the Himalayan region, from places such as Bhutan, India, Tibet, Indonesia, and Nepal.
The core achievement of the Mart was the hosting of the nation’s first ever “International Travel Bloggers and Media Conference” (ITBMC) at the Park Village Hotel in Budhanilkantha. The ITBMC hosted a total of 108 international bloggers and media personnel at the event, with the highlight being 9 internationally-acclaimed bloggers and media persons who spoke on the importance of the media and blogging in promoting tourist destinations like Nepal.
The Himalayan Travel Mart Conference was held on June 2 at the Soaltee Crowne Plaza,
where travel industry dignitaries and experts shared their knowledge and experiences on the topic of “Himalayan Tourism and Innovation & Marketing,” which met international standards and would definitely benefit industry professionals in Nepal.
Right Hon. President of Nepal, Mrs. Bidya Devi Bhandari, inaugurated the occasion amidst a gala event, where the CEO of the Nepal Tourism Board, Mr. Deepak Raj Joshi, welcomed the guests and stated that this sort of event will re-define the entire tourism Industry.
NATTA as one of the organizing member association was represented in the Mart by President Madhusudan Acharya, 1st VP Mr. CN Pandey, 2nd VP Mr. DK Sharma, Secretary General Mr. Bhim Prasad Panta, Secretary Mr. Sudhir Kumar Upadhyay, Executive Members Mr. Ghanshyam Ghimire, Mr. Ram Kumar Barakoti(also a registered seller) and CEO Prof. Dr. Hari Sarmah.
The President praised Nepal as a top tourist destination, and stressed the importance of promoting Nepal to the whole world. She honored PATA’s immediate past Chairman, Mr. Andrew Jones, and the CEO of PATA, Dr. Mario Hardy, along with crisis management and tourism recovery management expert, Dr. Bert Van Walbeek. Ms. Sarah Mathews, the Current Chairman of PATA, also congratulated everyone for organizing this first-ever mega international mart. “With the participation of around 225 international delegates from over 53 nations, making it an event attended by 500-plus delegates, the event can be compared to the likes of major international travel marts around the world,” she said.