Fifth edition of Himalayan Travel Mart kicks off in Kathmandu

KATHMANDU: The fifth edition of the Himalayan Travel Mart (HTM), an international tourism fair aimed at promoting Nepal’s tourism, kicked off in Kathmandu today.

The event is a joint initiative by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Nepal Chapter and the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).

The fair is being held in Kathmandu in collaboration with the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) and other tourism associations and partner organisations at national and international level.

Over 700 representatives, including more than 100 international delegates from 30 countries, are attending the event.

The three-day event opened with a conference titled "Mountain: Milestone and Momentum". At the conference, NTB Chief Executive Officer Deepak Raj Joshi stated that the HTM will be instrumental in further exploring and promoting Nepal’s tourism destinations internationally.

He added that the number of tourist destinations in Nepal has increased significantly in recent years. Referring to changes in Nepal’s rural–urban demographics, he noted that until 30 years ago the rural-to-urban ratio was 70:30, whereas it is now 50:50. "As we move towards urbanisation, our tourism continues to be deeply rooted in nature," he said.

HTM Coordinator and PATA Nepal Chapter General Secretary Narendra Dev Bhatta said that the event aims to strengthen Nepal’s tourism connectivity with international markets and boost domestic tourism.

More than 20 national and international speakers are scheduled to present their insights on topics including spiritual, adventure and luxury tourism, sustainable travel, emerging market trends, current challenges and new opportunities in the global tourism industry.

As part of the Business-to-Business (B2B) segment, this year’s Mart is expected to host over 60 buyers from countries including the United States, Europe, Australia, South Africa, Russia and CIS nations. More than 65 sellers from six countries including Nepal, India, Bhutan, China, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will also be participating, according to PATA Nepal Chapter.

The formal inauguration ceremony of the HTM was scheduled to take place this evening.