KATHMANDU: While the pronouncement to host the IIFA Awards in Kathmandu has been engulfed in controversies, the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), one of the organisers of the award function, organised a press meet on June 30.

Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO of NTB, and Laxman Gautam, Senior Manager of NTB were present at the press meet to address the controversies.

“We haven’t had such a large scale event since Bryan Adams’ performance in 2011. Being a host country for IIFA is an excellent opportunity to make our country known across the world,” Joshi told the reporters gathered.

With critics claiming that decision to host IIFA pandering more towards international movies and neglecting locally produced movies, he said, “Hosting the IIFA awards and lack of attention received by Nepali movies are two different issues.”

Spanning across 12 countries and 16 cities, IIFA Awards has a “special place in the hearts of the Indian diaspora that should be capitalised upon” as per Joshi. Due to the very reason, NTB believes that the welcoming of celebrities from India would encourage tourists from India to visit Nepal.

Gautam informed that the monsoon season is mostly dry for the tourism industry; hence, the decision to host grand event in late August was made.

The event will be held in partnership of NTB, the Film Development Board and Kathmandu Metropolitan City among others. While the final cost for the overall project is yet to be decided, Joshi claimed that the amount might range somewhere around $15-plus million which has also drawn some flak.

While the investment is certainly big, Joshi believes the returns will be worth it as “the event is a platform for Nepal to promote Nepal as a tourism destination and boasts of the prospect of Nepal as a safe MICE tourism destination”.