KATHMANDU, JULY 14 The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation appointed five new members to the Nepal Tourism Board on Tuesday. Minister Khadak Raj Paudel announced the appointees including Dr. Sovita Shrestha Dhakal (health and wellness tourism), Pemba Sherpa (8K Expeditions), Khum Bahadur Subedi (former president of the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal), Santosh Pokharel (hotel entrepreneur from Pokhara), and Srijana KC (IT and wellness tourism expert). A ministry-formed recommendation committee reviewed over 1,100 applications and shortlisted 10 candidates. The final five were chosen through a ministerial-level decision. They will serve three-year terms. The selection committee was chaired by Ram Krishna Lamichhane, director general of the Department of Tourism, with Arvind Kumar Jha and Purna Kumar Sherpa as members. The NTB board comprises five private-sector members and five ex-officio government members. Among the new appointees, Pemba Sherpa from 8K Expeditions has nearly 15 years of experience in Nepal's tourism industry. Born in the Makalu Valley, he has managed expeditions and treks and has taught at a tourism college in Kathmandu.