Kathmandu. On the occasion of its 27th anniversary, the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has officially announced the celebration of Nepal–ASEAN Tourism Year 2026, unveiling a focused strategy to strengthen Nepal’s tourism engagement with ASEAN countries, which the Board has identified as a high-potential and long-term source market.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, NTB Chief Executive Officer Deepak Raj Joshi stated that more than 107,000 tourists from ASEAN nations have already visited Nepal. He emphasized that Nepal will be promoted in the ASEAN market through Buddhist and spiritual tourism, nature and adventure tourism, wellness and Ayurveda, as well as culture- and community-based tourism.
The program was organized under the chairmanship of Mukunda Niraula, Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Anil Kumar Sinha attended as the chief guest, while Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens Shradha Shrestha was present as a distinguished guest.
CEO Joshi informed that Nepal is expected to welcome 1.16 million international tourists in 2025, reflecting a growth of nearly 3 percent compared to the previous year. He added that NTB conducted 31 tourism marts, 12 branding and corporate activities, and facilitated over 20 MICE events during the year, alongside live promotional broadcasts from major destinations and multilingual travel publications.
Highlighting development and capacity-building efforts, Joshi said NTB supported 69 tourism infrastructure projects, implemented 41 tourism programs nationwide, and provided training to 2,600 professionals in 2025. He also noted ongoing sustainable tourism initiatives along the Kanchenjunga, Manaslu, and Api–Saipal trekking trails, focusing on quality improvement, employment generation, and market development.
Looking ahead, NTB unveiled seven key travel trends for 2026 and presented a 2026–2035 strategic roadmap centered on digital innovation, participatory planning, high-value tourism, and the integration of local and global experiences. The event also featured video messages from international tourism leaders, and NTB’s annual publication “In-Focus” was officially launched.
