5th HTM concludes with pledge for sustainable tourism development

KATHMANDU: The fifth edition of Himalayan Travel Mart (HTM), an international tourism fair aimed at promoting Nepal’s tourism, concluded in Kathmandu on Thursday with a resolution to foster collective efforts among mountain countries to achieve sustainable tourism development.

Participants also agreed on strategies to further promote Nepal’s tourism destinations internationally.

The event was a joint initiative by Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Nepal Chapter and Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). The event took place in collaboration with Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) and other tourism associations and partner organisations at both national and international levels.

More than 700 representatives, including over 100 international delegates from 30 countries, attended the event. The HTM aimed to serve as a platform for establishing robust global communication links among tourism entrepreneurs, hospitality service providers and industry leaders.

The three-day event opened with a conference titled “Mountain: Milestone and Momentum”. On the occasion, NTB Chief Executive Officer Deepak Raj Joshi stated that HTM would be instrumental in further exploring and promoting Nepal’s tourism destinations internationally. He highlighted that the number of tourist destinations in Nepal has significantly increased in recent years. Suggesting a shift in Nepal’s rural–urban demographics, he said that until 30 years ago the rural-to-urban ratio was 70:30, while 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 aimed to strengthen Nepal’s tourism connectivity with international markets and boost domestic tourism.

Over 20 national and international speakers presented their insights on topics such as 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, HTM 2025 hosted 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 – also participated in the event, according to the PATA Nepal Chapter.