Kathmandu. Nepal marked the 46th World Tourism Day by sending a strong message to the international community that the country remains a safe, open, and tourist-friendly destination. The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, in coordination with the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), organized a special program at the NTB auditorium on Saturday to celebrate the occasion. Speakers highlighted that Nepal’s tourism industry has entered a recovery phase following the recent Gen-Z movement, which temporarily affected travel and business activities.
This year’s celebration was held under the theme “Tourism and Green Transformation.” A special message from Prime Minister Sushila Karki was read during the program, where she emphasized Nepal’s unique natural beauty, biodiversity, multicultural and multilingual heritage, and world-renowned Himalayas, which make the country a globally attractive travel destination. She stressed that strengthening tourism is vital for the national economy, highlighting its role in foreign exchange earnings, job creation, and local income growth.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that the Gen-Z movement created short-term challenges in the sector but noted that tourism recovery has already begun. She assured the government’s commitment to expanding infrastructure, improving service quality, and promoting good governance to boost confidence among international visitors. She also reiterated Nepal’s tradition of welcoming guests with warmth and respect, expressing hope that the day would inspire further promotion of sustainable tourism, mutual understanding, and international friendship.
Secretary of the Ministry, Hari Prasad Mainali, who chaired the event, emphasized that tourism development is not possible without the support of the private sector. He mentioned that although the protests in early September impacted the industry, private stakeholders have shown strong resilience. He assured that the ministry is open to resolving policy and legal hurdles to create a more supportive environment for tourism growth.
Similarly, Joint Secretary Indu Ghimire highlighted Nepal’s swift recovery and called for stronger collaboration between the government and private sector to ensure sustainable transformation in tourism. NTB CEO Deepak Raj Joshi shared that tourist arrivals, which had dropped from 3,300 per day before the Gen-Z movement to 1,600 during the unrest, have since rebounded to nearly 2,900 per day, showing a clear sign of recovery and international confidence in Nepal as a destination.
On this occasion, the NTB honored 19 individuals and organizations for their contributions to tourism, including Api Himal Rural Municipality for promoting trekking, veteran mountaineering guide Chhiring Tendi Sherpa for over 50 years of service, and Siddhi Bahadur Tamang for his record climbs. A book titled “Village Tourism and Identity” was also launched. In addition, NTB welcomed the first tourists of the day American citizen George Cordell Branun and Chilean citizen Herzog Amunategui with a special ceremony at Tribhuvan International Airport, showcasing Nepal’s warm hospitality.
