Himalayan Travel Mart ends on a high note

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Written by Linda Hohnholz

The main objective of the Himalayan Travel Mart, held from June 1-4, was to establish Nepal as a “Gateway to the Himalayas.” The outcome desired was to place the nation in a positive light in the global arena as a destination capable of hosting events at the international level.

The event saw participation from 74 buyers from 36 countries, and over 50 sellers, representing the Himalayan region, from places such as Bhutan, India, Tibet, Indonesia, and Nepal.

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The core achievement of the Mart was the hosting of the nation’s first ever “International Travel Bloggers and Media Conference” (ITBMC) at the Park Village Hotel in Budhanilkantha. The ITBMC hosted a total of 108 international bloggers and media personnel at the event, with the highlight being 9 internationally-acclaimed bloggers and media persons who spoke on the importance of the media and blogging in promoting tourist destinations like Nepal. The Minister of Health, Mr. Gagan Thapa, said the event aimed to “re-introduce Nepal as a safe and friendly tourist destination to the whole
world.”

The Himalayan Travel Mart Conference was held on June 2 at the Soaltee Crowne Plaza,
where travel industry dignitaries and experts shared their knowledge and experiences on the topic of “Himalayan Tourism and Innovation & Marketing,” which met international standards and would definitely benefit industry professionals in Nepal.

The inauguration ceremony was done by Nepal’s Right Hon. President, Mrs. Bidya Devi Bhandari, amidst a gala event, where the CEO of the Nepal Tourism Board, Mr. Deepak Raj Joshi, welcomed the crowd and stated that this sort of event will re-define the entire tourism Industry. The Chairman of the PATA Nepal Chapter, Mr. Suman Pandey, talked about the main objective of organizing this Travel Mart, and the Chairman and Managing Director of Air India, Mr. Aswini Lohani, was the keynote speaker of the event, where he declared the “1 +1” Business class scheme. Air India announced it will be running a promotional scheme, “Buy One, Get One Free.”

The President praised Nepal as a top tourist destination, and stressed the importance of promoting Nepal to the whole world. She honored PATA’s immediate past Chairman, Mr. Andrew Jones, and the CEO of PATA, Dr. Mario Hardy, along with crisis management and tourism recovery management expert, Dr. Bert Van Walbeek. Ms. Sarah Mathews, the Current Chairman of PATA, also congratulated everyone for organizing this first-ever mega international mart. “With the participation of around 225 international delegates from over 53 nations, making it an event attended by 500-plus delegates, the event can be compared to the likes of major international travel marts around the world,” she said.

Mr. Shankar Prasad Adhikary, Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, in his vote of thanks commended the PATA Nepal Chapter for organizing such a historic event. In the light of the success of the Himalayan Travel Mart 2017, the CEO of the Nepal Tourism Board, Mr. Deepak Raj, concluded the event saying, “Since the Himalayan Travel Mart has become a flagship for tourism promotion, the promotion and continuation of the Mart is necessary in the future.” On this note, the next Himalayan Travel Mart 2018, was announced, which is scheduled to take place from June 1-3 of next year.

The Official Airline Partner of the Himalayan Travel Mart was Air India, and the Official Hotel Partner was Soaltee Crowne Plaza.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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