KATHMANDU: Nepal is hosting the first Buddhist International Travel Mart (BITM 2019) from January 10 to 12, in the Sacred Garden of Lumbini.

As per Nepal Tourism Board, Lumbini carries immense significance as a tourism destination. The event, chaired by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA), is being led by Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents and Nepal’s key private sector associations, with NTB as the organising partner.

According to Achyut Sharma Guragain, member secretary of BITM, the main theme of BITM 2019 is Buddhism tourism, as the objective of the mart is to promote Lumbini as a prime Buddhist heritage site and to create a platform for interaction between organisations, tour operators and agencies that specialise in this sector.

The MoCTCA has formed a 39-member main organiser team for the BITM, that will be led by Tourism Secretary Krishna Prasad Devkota.