Kathmandu, January 26:

The Nepal Association of Tour & Travel Agents (NATTA) today announced plans to host the second International Travel Mart at Birendra International Convention Centre, Kathmandu from May 11-13, 2007.

The primary objective behind the travel fair is to inform the world community that Nepal is now a completely safe destination to travel. The fair will be organised in joint cooperation with the ministry of culture, tourism and civil aviation, Nepal Tourism Board and Nepal Airlines.

“Instead of going to each and every country and conveying the message of the return of peace and tranquility in Nepal, we are organising this travel mart for international tour operators and media to come down and check out the ground situation in the country,” Dhrub Narayan Shrestha, president NATTA, told The Himalayan Times.

Preparations for the travel mart is already underway. An organising committee under the aegis of the tourism minister, an advisory committee led by the tourism secretary and a string of sub-committees have already begun the preparations.

The minister of culture, tourism and civil aviation, Pradip Gyawali who attended the function organised to announce the travel mart said, “The mart would boost the image of Nepal internationally and help promote tourism,” he added.