Focus on Uttar Pradesh–Gandaki tourism cooperation and connectivity
KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 19
The Embassy of India in Kathmandu, in collaboration with the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and the Pokhara Tourism Council, organized the second India–Nepal Tourism Meet in Pokhara on Thursday, aiming to strengthen cross-border tourism cooperation, particularly between Uttar Pradesh and Nepal's Gandaki Province.
Gandaki Province Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey attended the event as the chief guest and welcomed the growing tourism partnership with India, highlighting the importance of destinations such as Pokhara and Muktinath.
Speaking at the programme, Dr Rakesh Pandey, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India, said improved connectivity was giving fresh momentum to cross-border tourism. He stressed the need for joint efforts to fully utilize the tourism potential of both countries, particularly through the promotion of religious and cultural circuits linking Nepal with neighbouring Indian states.
Joint Director of Uttar Pradesh Tourism, Dinesh Kumar, presented tourism circuits of Uttar Pradesh with a focus on the upcoming Magh Mela, while also sharing best practices in tourism policy implementation.
Similarly, NTB Chief Executive Officer Deepak Raj Joshi said India remains Nepal's largest source market for foreign tourists and outlined initiatives undertaken to further promote tourism exchanges between the two countries.
The meet also featured a business-to-business (B2B) session involving around 10 delegates from India and 60 from Nepal, with discussions centred on promoting land-route tourism, Buddhist circuits, wildlife tourism and adventure travel.
The event also marked the International Year of Cooperatives.
