International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA) is initiating the first International Mountain Tourism Day on May 29, 2019 on the occasion of International Sagarmatha Day in Nepal. On this regard, to have the discussions and suggestion on making the program success, the delegations of IMTA were at Nepal and had a series of meeting with Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA), Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and NATTA. IMTA proposed to work together with MoCTCA and NTB to make the initiation a success. NATTA has been acknowledged as a very important IMTA Council member. The proposal of organizing International Mountain Tourism Day in Nepal was announced in the annual meeting of IMTA held on October 12 to 13 in Guiyang, China. International Mountain Tourism Alliance is a non-government, non-profit international organization established with the approval of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, and voluntarily formed by destination management agencies, Read More
Bangladesh Travel & Tourism Fair (BTTF) - 2019 In an aid of promotion of Nepal, Nepal Association of Tour & Travel Agents (NATTA) is participating in the Bangladesh Travel & Tourism Fair (BTTF) - 2019 to be held from 18th -20th April 2019 at Dhaka, Bangladesh in coordination with Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). COTTM and Nepal China Sales Mission 2019 NATTA together with Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) is planning to coordinate the participation of Nepalese tourism stakeholders in China Outbound Travel & Tourism Market (COTTM) in National Agricultural Exhibition Center, Beijing, China from 15th -17th April 2018. And coinciding with COTTM, like in the previous year, Nepal China Sales Mission – 2019 will be coordinated by NATTA in four different cities of China together with Nepal Tourism Board. A notice for participation in all the above events will be circulated among NATTA members and other Read More
International Tourist Guide Day was celebrated on 21st February 2019 organized by Tourist Guide Association of Nepal (TURGAN) at Nepal Tourism Board. Participating on the occasion, NATTA 1st VP Mr. Achyut Guragain firstly congratulated all the people associated with tourism in celebrating this day. As Guides would be the first face representing country, Mr. Guragain also focused on dress and proper hygiene of the Guides and also recommended for Refreshment and Training programs for Guide.
In the past several days, after Tribhuvan International Airport had been reformed and renovated, one of the issue that had been a big concern was for the tourist vehicles. As tourist had to face the hassles during pick up and drop after TIA opened its new parking area and only Airport Taxis were placed around airport premises. On this regard, for the management of parking for tourist vehicle, several meetings were held and letters were sent to concerned departments by NATTA. Therefore, after the joint meeting with Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), CAAN, TIA Traffic Police and NATTA represented by 1st VP Mr. Achyut Sharma Guragain and Mr. Hemraj Bastola on 20th February 2019, it was decided to facilitate for tourist vehicle as: At the time of pick up/drop, the vehicle will first park in the new parking area and coordinating with the parked vehicle in airport premises parking, tourist transport Read More
The 4th edition of the Bengal Travel Mart (BTM) was held in Siliguri from February 5 to February 7 2019. The mart was organised by the travel industry with Eastern Himalaya Travel and Tour Operators Association (EHTTOA) at the helm. Buyers and Sellers from different countries participated in the event showcasing their expertise and identifying the thriving business opportunities in West Bengal. The inaugural ceremony of the event also staged a beautifully choreographed cultural performance representing the diverse communities of West Bengal. NATTA Representatives, Executive Member Mr. Amrit Kumar Dhakal and Mr. Hemraj Bastola participated at the Bengal Travel Mart.
Nepal showcased in FITUR which started from 23.01.2019 till 27.01.2019 at capital of Spain, Madrid. Swoyambhu structured Nepal Pavilion was admired by all the participants and visitors and has been assumed to be best Stand. Since the very first day the Nepalese Exhibitors experienced good response from the visitors and media persons in FITUR. At the FITUR, First Secretary and Acting Ambassador of Nepal to Spain, Mr. Harihar Kant Poudel visited Nepal Pavilion and interacted with participants of FITUR. While it also had presence of various tourism dignitaries from Nepal and dignitaries residing in Spain as Trade Visitors. Like in the past years, NATTA has been regularly coordinating Nepal's participation in FITUR in conjunction with Nepal Tourism Board showcasing tourism products of Nepal. This year, Nepal’s participation is coordinated by NATTA 2nd Vice President Mrs. Sangita Jirel Bade. The participation comprises of 16 Nepalese travel companies and hotels. Vista Travels Read More
NATTA organized an honor and interaction program with newly elected members of SOTTO Nepal at NATTA Secretariat on 25th January 2019. NATTA President Mr. CN Pandey and Executive Members felicitated the President and the members of the SOTTO executive body. During the interaction, both NATTA and SOTTO team expressed their commitment for collaboration with each other for the promotion of Nepalese tourism as both organizations share common interest in working for tourism. SOTTO President Mr. Madhusudan Upadhyay highlighted that this newly formed team of SOTTO will always work for the betterment prosperity and will work in tandem for better tourism in the days to come. In conclusion, NATTA President Mr. Pandey entrusted on full support to and fro of the associations and wished the team of SOTTO a successful tenure.
The 52nd AGM of NATTA was successfully accomplished on the 15th January 2019 at Hotel Yak &Yeti. The program was inaugurated by Hon’ble Parliament Speaker Mr. Krishna Bahadur Mahara. During his speech, Hon’ble Speaker expressed his full support for bringing the required legal reforms for the development of the tourism sector and expressed that the tourism sector has made a significant contribution to the nation’s overall economic development. Hon’ble Mr. Mahara also praised the role of NATTA through its active works towards promoting Nepal as a major tourist destination and encouraging tourists from across the world to visit Nepal. Similarly, Former Minister Mr. Gyanendra Bahadur Karki stressed the need of making the tourism sector dignified and systematic. He stressed on the development of tourism infrastructures for attracting quality tourists in the country. Tourism Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Mr. Krishna Prasad Devkota urged the tourism entrepreneurs to Read More
In Nepal, tourist arrival has shown a rapid recovery after the earthquakes of 2015. Total arrivals neared the one-million mark for the first time. Buoyed by the growth in tourist arrivals in recent years, Nepal has already set a target of welcoming 1.5 million international visitors by 2020. Tourism sector holds immense potentials for Nepalese economy that can provide stimulus to other sectors through backward and forward linkages. The best part of tourism revenue is that it trickles down to the grassroots level, benefiting people affected by tourism activities. However, given the huge potentials for tourism development backed with pristine natural environment, abundant wildlife and rich culture and traditions, tourism development in Nepal is far below expectations. This is mainly due to infrastructure bottlenecks, lack of proper connectivity, decentralization of tourism activities to new areas and diversification of tourism products and services. Most of the tourists coming to Nepal are Read More
Buddhist International Travel Mart 2019, at Lumbini is in the process to explore Nepal as the Land of Lord Buddha. Various tourism organization under the Main Organizing Committee are meeting at Nepal Tourism Board to work with the best strategy to make the mart success. The selection process of the international buyer Subcommittee met on Friday, 14th December whereas the next Subcommittee of approving the transport logistic meeting was held on Wednesday, 19th December. Similarly, on 20th December another meeting was held in discussion to manage the international Bloggers, Media and Publicity as well as for the Hospitality Management Subcommittee. On the same day, in selection of potential delegates and speaker for sharing the views and experience on event, Delegates & Speaker Sub Committee meeting was held. With the continuous workout for the BITM2019, the head to head meeting has been taking place. All these ongoing plans are expected to Read More
New Members were welcomed at NATTA Secretariat on its 20th Board Meeting. New Members are: Sapphire Tours & Travels Pvt. Ltd. Aashna World Travel Services Pvt. Ltd. They were welcomed by President Mr. CN Pandey and all present board members, with Membership Certificate and NATTA’s publications.
In conjunction with Nepal Tourism Board, NATTA is coordinating Nepal’s participation in 39th FITUR-2019 which is being held in 23-27 January 2019 at Madrid, Spain. Nepal will be showcasing its tourism products in one of the coveted Fair in Europe. Nepal’s Participation is comprised of 16 participating tourism companies. On this regard, Briefing with participants along with NTB officials was held at NATTA Secretariat on 16th December 2018. The meeting was held to discusse the details about Nepal Pavilion in FITUR and certain norms to be applied during FITUR participation. Similarly, stalls of participants were allocated by lucky draw. FITUR has become a global meeting point for tourism professionals and the leading trade fair for inbound and outbound tourism markets. NATTA has been coordinating the participation since many years in coordination with NTB. NATTA has nominated 2nd Vice President, Mrs. Sangita Jirel Bade as a Coordinator for Nepal’s Participation in Read More
Meeting of NATTA Council of Past Presidents was held at NATTA Secretariat on 10th December to have the discussion on the several agendas; BITM, NATTA Statute Amendment and Updated Tourism Act. Initially, President Mr. CN Pandey familiarized on the current updates of BITM, NATTA Statute and Draft of Tourism Act. Past Presidents firstly admired on the initiation of BITM implementing by NATTA giving certain ideas and assured for their ever support in making a program success. Similarly, certain opinions were shared on the amendment of NATTA Statute including discussions of Provincial State and proposed new act of Tourism 2075. Past Presidents, Mr. Dhurba Narayan Shrestha, Mr. Ram Kaji Koney, Mr. Arjun Prasad Sharma, IPP Mr. Madhusudan Acharya were at the meeting convened by Past President and Chairperson of NATTA Council of Past Presidents, Mr. RR Pandey with their valuable inputs in the NCPP Meeting. Upcoming NATTA Statute Amendment also has Read More
NATTA organized an Interaction Program with its members on 9th December at Naxal Banquet. The objective of the program was to inform about NATTA’s upcoming event, Buddhist International Travel Mart (BITM) 2019 which is being held on January 10-12 2019 at Lumbini, Nepal and to collect the feedback and suggestions from the members before chalking out the event. President Mr. CN Pandey welcomed all the members apprising short details on upcoming NATTA endeavors. Number of members along with Past Presidents were present in the interaction program. The program was compered by Secretary General Mr. Ramesh Thapa. Program continued with the presentation led by Convener for BITM & 1st VP, Mr. Achyut Sharma Guragain informing on the specifics of Buddhist International Travel Mart (BITM). The program ended with answer to the details raised by members by President Mr. C.N Pandey. The feedback and reaction of the general members expressed on the Read More
Delegates from Import Promotion Desk (IPD), a German Organization were at NATTA Secretariat on 5th December 2018. This organisation is working on to start an initiative in supporting Nepali tourism operators to develop the business networks in Europe. The organisation will support to organisations having the Criteria such as SME with limited or no business contact in Europe, Readiness to promote their business through international platforms, Ability to communicate in English, Faith on Responsible practices and sustainable tourism. In its first mission, IPD organized information workshops in Kathmandu and Pokhara, one in each place with travel stakeholders. The workshop was held on 6th December at Hotel Himalaya and another session was held in Pokhara on 7th December. NATTA circulated its members regarding the workshop inviting for participation and had the participation of around 20 companies as NATTA Representation.
NATTA delegation visited Royal Thai Embassy in Bansbari, Kathmandu to have a meeting with Ambassador, HE. Mr. Bhakavat Tanskul on 4th December 2018. The meeting was arranged with H.E to discuss on the current issues arising in visa processing. The issues raised were while applying for visa in a group, as some are rejected showing certain defaults. In this case, the delegates urged Embassy to aware formerly if there are any problems in documents which would be supportive while applying for the visas. Also, requested for reducing from 5 to 3 days in receiving applied visa for easy travel to the travelers. Likewise, the delegations also requested HE to have the provision of multiple visa for at least 2-3 years for the traveler traveling for medical treatment or business purpose. Secretary General, Mr. Ramesh Thapa, Executive Members Mr. Ramesh Paudel and Mr. Shreeram Pandey were the NATTA Delegation visiting the Read More
Mr. Christain Blondin, an International Consultant at the World Bank, who is currently in Nepal on an assignment was at NATTA Secretariat on 29th November 2018 to review opportunities for public and private sector engagement as well as academia, for increasing sustainability of weather, climate and hydrological (hydromet) service delivery in Nepal. GFDRR Hydromet is a team of World Bank staff and consultants, which is actively engaging with World Bank stakeholders to improve weather, climate and hydrological service delivery in support of mainstream development activities in several World Bank regions. The work focuses on three primary areas: capacity building and technical assistance; analytical support and knowledge management; and portfolio development. President Mr. CN Pandey and 1st Vice President Mr. Achyut Sharma Guragain had a conversation on this matter with Mr. Blondin.
Trans Holiday Travel & Tours Pvt. Ltd. was welcomed as a new member on NATTA’s 18th Board Meeting. New member was welcomed by President Mr. CN Pandey and all present board members, with Membership Certificate and NATTA’s publications.
Representatives from Finn Airlines were at NATTA Secretariat on 23rd November 2018 with the purpose of the study of Nepal market in the sector of aviation. Finn Airlines which is the national carrier of Finland, is trying to operate its airlines in Nepal as per the ongoing Market trend of Nepal in Europe. In the meeting, Secretary General Mr. Ramesh Thapa suggested operating the flight in Nepal that makes intact to develop in the Nepal and Europe market. Likewise Executive Member, Mr. Amrit Kumar Dhakal conversed on further information about the operating Finn Airlines. It is appreciating that international airlines from various nations are interested in bringing their wings to Nepal that shows Nepal is being widespread globally.
Meeting with Airlines In Request for Support in upcoming Buddhist International Travel Mart (BITM) 2019, a joint meeting with international airlines and GDS operating in Nepal was held at Alice Receptions convened by NATTA. The meeting firstly apprised on the information about BITM and requested for suggestion and advice to make this event a grand success in the benefit of tourism in Nepal. Also, requested to suggest for Bloggers, Media and Buyers in the program and share the event among their associates. All the represents in the meeting praised for the initiation of organizing first ever Buddhist International Mart with their valued suggestions to work and jointly agreed to collaborate in a grand manner. Meeting of BITM Main Organizing Committee The first meeting of Buddhist International Travel Mart (BITM) Main Organizing Committee was held at Lecture Hall, Nepal Tourism Board on 16th November 2018 chaired by Secretary of MoCTCA Read More