A three-day Western Travel Mart on the theme: Nepalgunj Gateway of Karnali successfully concluded in Nepalgunj, Banke from March 10 till March 12 2022. Western Travel Mart was an initiative of the Nepal Tourism Board and Nepalgunj Sub Metropolitan City Office, in the coordination of NATTA Banke Chapter, Tourism Development Forum-Banke and HAN Banke.
A Western Travel Mart has been organised for the first time in Nepalgunj to promote the tourism destinations of western Nepal and also to increase the tourism activities by promoting tourism in Nepalgunj City and its adjoining areas as well as Karnali.
The Mart had more than 150 tourism entrepreneurs from India and Nepal participated in the program. The entrepreneurs visited from Mumbai, Gujarat, Punjab, Lucknow, Kanpur, Delhi, Jaipur and other places of India and all the Provinces of Nepal. Chief Guest of the event, Chief of the local Raute community, Mr. Surya Narayan Shahi inaugurated the mart, Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Surya Narayan Shahi said that Nepal was very beautiful but we had not been able to show our beauty to the world.
Mayor of Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan Municipality, Dr. Dhawal Shamsher Rana said that the mart was organized for the promotion of tourism in Nepalgunj and the surrounding areas and expressed confidence that this mart would further establish Nepalgunj in the field of hospitality.
Similarly, the CEO of the Nepal Tourism Board Dhananjay Regmi said that as India is the largest market for Nepal, the board has targeted Indian border towns and invited tour operators to the mart. And also expressed confidence that the number of Indians arriving in western Nepal would increase as many Indian businesses and journalists were participating in the mart.
President of the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA), Mr. Achyut Guragain, spoke about the benefits and its significance that is set up from this first ever mart to the tourism industry connecting with all hoteliers, tour operators, agriculture and many products to offer. Mr. Binayak Shah, Vice president of the Hotel Association Nepal (HAN), said that the Indian tourists were vital for the development of tourism in Nepal and said that the mart had been specially organised for them.
On the occasion, Indian tourism entrepreneur Mr. Anuj Singh said that Nepal would take a big leap if Nepal-India relations were further strengthened by adding the tourism dimension.
Meanwhile, a Technical Session was held with the Special Speakers, CEO of NTB, Dr. Dhananjaya Regmi, Vice President of HAN, Mr. Binayak Shah, Mr. Ramji Pathak, Tourism Expert, Mr. Shankar Khanal, Editor, Annapurna Post and moderated by President of NATTA, Mr. Achyut Guragain where there had been discussed on the ways to bring tourists from India.
About 35 tour operators, hoteliers and tourism service providers set up their stalls at the mart and promoted the packages. For the promotion of domestic tourism, stalls were set up including tourist attractions from all seven provinces of the country.
Likewise, a FAM Trip was organized for all the guests from Nepal and India. Participants were taken to Bardiya National Park along with Jungle Safari. They were also taken for Rafting in the Karnali. A visit to the hotels and casinos in Nepalgunj was also arranged for the Indian Participants during the program.
On the Closing Ceremony held at Mero Planet, Nepalgunj on 12th March 2022, all the Buyers, Sellers and Supporters were appreciated and given Token of Appreciation. Likewise, the next date for Western Travel Mart was declared for February 23-25 2023 by Chairperson of Mart Operation and Management Committee and President of NATTA Banke Chapter Mr. Shreeram Sigdel.
With the intention of business development, expansion and international source market development of state-level travel tour operators and other tourism entrepreneurs, the Nepal Tourism Board’s Fiscal year 2078-79’s policy has planned the conduction of ‘State-level travel marts’ in coordination with State and local level governments. Western travel mart is the first travel mart being conducted under the policy.
Though Nepal has tremendous opportunities in MICE tourism, the efforts are still less in the market. Realizing this very fact, Western Travel Mart (WTM) was conceived to promote the tourist destinations of Western Nepal, especially Karnali and Lumbini provinces at the national and international level.