Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, April 26:

In a bid to promote Nepal in the international sector, the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) is organising NATTA Travel Mart 2005 next month. Tour operators and entrepreneurs from South Asia and South East Asia will participate in the event. “We hope to promote the country’s deteriorating tourism by showing her real situation to the international tour operators,” Rabi Poudel, president of NATTA, told this daily. According to him, negative publicity by the international media has greatly tarnished the country’s image.

The event believed to be the first of its kind in the country, will be held at the Birendra International Convention Centre from May 12-14, for which seventeen countries have already confirmed their participation. India, Thailand, Singapore, Bangladesh, China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Pakistan and Myanmar among others are expected to participate in the travel mart. The Tourism Ministry, the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation and Nepal Tourism Board are supporting the event.

NATTA’s 15th convention will also be held during the event. The theme of the convention this year is ‘Streamlining efforts of promoting inter-regional tourism.’ “Likewise, the event will see participation of around 170 participants from the country’s tourism industry, including travel and tour operators and hotels,” said Poudel. Only a few countries such as Malaysia and China will display their products. “Our mission is to promote Nepal’s tourism to the international operators rather than getting them to promote their respective destinations,” he said.