Kathmandu, June 17:

Nepal has won the ‘New Travel Routes Contest 2007 Award’ at the International Travel Exhibition (ITE) held in Hong Kong from June 14-17.

The contest was conducted through a visitors’ survey of trade, media and consumers that attended the ITE fair.

The award is a testament to the new confidence in the destination, which is also reflected

in the tourist arrival numbers in 2007, states a Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) press release

here, today.

At the fair, Madhav Prasad Ghimire, secretary at the ministry of culture, tourism & civil aviation and chairman of NTB felicitated the Mt Everest Summitteers from Hong Kong, Louise Bowen (1999) and Chung Man Kin (2003) during the Nepal presentation organised by NTB.

Ghimire said that the recent growth in the arrival of tourists spoke volumes for the confidence of consumers as well as operators towards Nepal.

The government considers tourism a high priority industry and is making all efforts to gradually liberalise policies concerned with tourism, make foreign direct investment opportunities easier and adopt a liberal sky policy, he added.

Hemlal Sharma Bhattarai, consul general of Nepal in Hong Kong stressed on the commitment of the missions to fully cooperate and assist the media and trade.

Nandini Lahe-Thapa, director at NTB informed that under the new destination brand, Nepal has already identified several new tourism products and destinations.

“New grounds we are breaking into is focusing on spa, relaxation and rejuvenation using ancient healing techniques, meditation and Himalayan herbs and oils of which Nepal has a plenty.”

Ang Tsering Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association and Ronnie Ho, president of Tourism Industry Council, Hong Kong, also expressed their views on the occasion. Lincoln Linn, honorary representative of NTB in Hong Kong was honoured for his support and cooperation extended towards tourism promotion in Nepal.

Along with NTB, three private sector companies, Asian Trekking, Amadablam Adventure and Dharma Adventure participated at ITE 2007.