Kathmandu, March 2:

For the tourism industry in Nepal reeling under the weight of the continuing violence in the country, a good cheer has come in the form of three prestigious awards given by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).

Shikher Prasai, the honorary secretary at Nepal Chapter of PATA, has been selected for the ‘PATA Face of the Future’.

Shikher Prasai is also the director of Natraj Tours and Travels (NTT). A first for Nepal, the annual awards is a recognition of an exceptional young tourism professional and leader in the global travel and tourism industry, states a press release issued in the capital by the PATA Nepal Chapter today.

The award is to be presented at the 55th PATA Annual Conference in Pattaya, Thailand being held from April 23 - 27.

Also a reason to cheer is the Gold Award that is to be presented to Nepal Tourism Board NTB) for the NTB’s promotional CD on Nepal. NTB has bagged the award in the CD ROM category. Similar is the PATA Award of Excellence, which PATA Nepal Chapter has won. The PATA Nepal Chapter won the award competing with more than 45 chapters worldwide. The judging committee was most impressed with the numerous promotional activities undertaken by the Nepal Chapter, particularly, under the difficult circumstances Nepal is currently facing, further states the press release.

These awards might encourage Nepali tourism sector, which is hit hard by the series of negative publicity in the recent times.