KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 7
The Nepali travel and tourism companies participating in the World Travel Market (WTM) 2025 in London have jointly protested against the mismanagement over the placement of the Nepal Pavilion.
The complaint filed with secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTA) and copied to Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) CEO Deepak Raj Joshi and Board Member Rishiram Bhandari, both of whom are attending the WTM event in London, the delegates said Nepal's stall, located at Stall No. N12-511 at ExCeL London, was set up in a dimly lit, low-traffic corner, resulting in poor visitor turnout and limited engagement.
"The stall was placed in a dark corner, far from the main visitor flow. This wrong decision has caused loss of time, money, and opportunity for both NTB and private exhibitors," the joint statement read. The participants said the incident has undermined Nepal's tourism promotion efforts at one of the world's most influential travel trade fairs.
The aggrieved exhibitors demanded that NTB refund the stall fees collected from private participants and also cover their travel and accommodation expenses, holding the board responsible for what they described as "a costly administrative failure."
They further remarked that Nepal's participation in such global events had become ineffective due to poor planning and coordination. "Despite the heavy expenditure in the name of tourism promotion, the actual return in terms of exposure and business is almost zero," the complaint stated.
The formal letter of protest has been signed by representatives from Buddha Air, Alpine Club of Himalaya, Outshine Adventure Pvt. Ltd, Trekking Team Group, Altitude Himalaya Pvt. Ltd, Nepal Social Treks & Expedition, Chhaya Devi Complex Ltd (Aloft Kathmandu Thamel), The Trekker's Society, Ethical Trekking Nepal, Kora Tours, Snowy Horizon Treks & Expedition Pvt. Ltd, Earth Nepal Travel & Trek P. Ltd, Accessible Adventure Pvt. Ltd, Burhan Wilderness Camps, Pokhara Ultralight Pvt. Ltd, Nepal Big Mountain Travel Company Pvt. Ltd, Expedition Himalaya.com Pvt. Ltd, Touch Kailash Travels & Tours Pvt. Ltd, Desire Nepal Treks, Travels and Tours Pvt. Ltd, Himalayan Guides Nepal Treks & Expedition P. Ltd, Ojha Holidays Tours & Treks Pvt. Ltd, Hotel Mount Monastery Pvt. Ltd (The Terraces Resort), and Himalayan Quests & Adventures.
The participants urged the Nepal Tourism Board to adopt transparent decision-making, strategic placement, and better coordination in future global tourism expos to enhance Nepal's visibility and protect the credibility of its private sector participants.
