TikTok can help promote Nepal's tourism globally, says Communication Minister Timilsina

KATHMANDU: Minister for Information and Communication Dr Bikram Timilsina said Nepal could use TikTok as an effective platform to promote its tourism sector to international audiences.

Speaking at the launch of the #VisitNepal campaign organised by TikTok and the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) in Kathmandu on Thursday, Dr Timilsina said the collaboration would help promote Nepal's tourism globally and support technology transfer.

He said digital platforms could showcase destinations with natural, religious, spiritual and cultural significance. Nepal's biodiversity and ethnic cultures were also important assets for tourism promotion, he added.

Dr Timilsina said digital platforms had changed how people discover destinations and noted that the government viewed TikTok as a potential long-term partner in connecting Nepal's tourism, culture and young people with the world.

Emir Gelen, Head of Government Relations and Public Policy for TikTok in the Middle East, Eurasia and Africa, said the partnership aimed to showcase Nepal's tourism potential to global audiences and support local creators, businesses and communities through digital platforms.

NTB Director Sunil Sharma, TikTok Communications Director Kiran Chapagain and content creator Karan Pariyar also attended the event and said the platform could help promote Nepal's natural and cultural tourism internationally.

As part of the campaign, TikTok brought nine international travel content creators from Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and South Asia to Nepal. The creators, who arrived in Nepal on October 30, will remain in the country until November 7, visiting destinations and sharing content with their audiences.

TikTok has also launched a dedicated #VisitNepal hashtag page, while the campaign includes collaborations with Nepali celebrities and local content creators as well as livestreams from tourism destinations across the country.