Kathmandu, March 27

Tourism entrepreneurs today announced formation of Korea Tours and Trekking Operator Association of Nepal (KTTOAN) to promote tourism in both countries. A nine-member committee under the chairmanship of Amar Bahadur Shahi was announced at an event in the Capital.

The committee has Lal Bahadur Bhattarai as first vice-president, Binod Rana as second vice-president, Arjun Poudel as general secretary, Wangchu Sherpa as secretary and Nga Ngima Sherpa as treasurer. Ang Dorjee Sherpa, Yadav Poudel and Pemba Sherpa have been named as members of the association.

Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Nepal, Park Young-sik, said that the association will help further develop the relations between South Korea and Nepal. As Nepal is a popular destination for Koreans, with approximately 30,000 visitors annually, the new effort of tourism entrepreneurs will help attract more visitors here, the envoy said.

The embassy will work closely with KTTOAN to invite more tourists to Nepal and vice-versa, he added.

Newly elected President Shahi said that KTTOAN will work to bring more visitors  from South Korea to the country. It will also enhance people to people relations between the two countries.

Former minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Kripasur Sherpa, and the Chief Executive Officer of Nepal Tourism Board, Deepak Raj Joshi, among others also addressed the event.

South Korea and Nepal have developed close friendship and cooperation across many areas since the Korean mission was established in Kathmandu in 1974.