Kathmandu, November 11:

Pokhara and Illam are all set to host the Lekhnath and Antu tourism festivals respectively this month with a view to developing the two areas as tourism destinations and encouraging domestic tourism.

While the Lekhnath festival will be held from November 25 till December 3, the Antu tourism festival will be held from November 28-30, a press conference organised here today by the Nepal Tourism Board was told.

The major attractions in the Lekhnath festival would be an industrial trade fair, agro fair, poultry expo, orange expo, fish expo, food festival, fresh vegetable expo and tourism fair. The festival will also include school-level competitions and folk-song contests. The Lekhnath Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Market Management Sub-committee and Nepal Chamber of Commerce and Industries are organising the fest.

Organisers of the Antu tourism festival said they decided to organise the festival for the fourth consecutive year following its great success earlier. The previous ones, according to Avinanda Giri, the vice-president of Antu tourism development committee Shreeantu/Samalbung, Illam, helped increase tourism in the area by 10 per cent. The festival is expected to draw 20,000 domestic tourists. The NTB is promoting both the festivals.