Tourism entrepreneurs from Nepal and India have committed to promoting cross-border religious tourism through enhanced collaboration.
An interaction organized in coordination with the Embassy of India in Nepal, the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), and Uttar Pradesh Tourism Board brought together stakeholders from both countries. Participants pledged to work jointly to expand religious tourism in border areas, aiming to reap mutual benefits.
As part of this initiative, Nepali entrepreneurs recently participated in a six-day exposure visit to religious sites in India, including Mathura, Agra, Prayagraj, Lucknow, Banaras, and Ayodhya. These visits facilitated discussions on tourism potential, challenges, and opportunities in both countries.
Akash Deep, Additional Strategic Officer of the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department, emphasized that such events strengthen cooperation in tourism development. Similarly, Kaushlendra Singh, General Secretary of the Agra Travel Agents Association, highlighted the potential for religious tourism and pledged to encourage Indian tourists to explore Nepal's religious sites after learning about them from NTB representatives.
Shraddha Shrestha, Senior Manager of NTB, stated that the event was designed to foster cooperation between entrepreneurs and promote inter-country tourism. Janakpur Sub-Metropolitan City Mayor Manoj Kumar Sah discussed plans to develop Ayodhya and Janakpur as part of the Ramayana Circuit.
Tourism entrepreneur Maya Prasad Bhatta stressed the importance of collaboration to promote new destinations in Nepal's far-western region, such as Badhimalika and Khaptad, as well as jungle safaris and religious sites.
Promotional programs were also held in Varanasi to strengthen ties. Santosh Kumar Singh, President of the Varanasi Tourism Guild, urged both nations to leverage their centuries-old religious and cultural connections. He also invited Nepali Hindu tourists to participate in India's Kumbh Mela, held every 12 years, while highlighting the need for improved road infrastructure in Nepal to attract more Indian visitors.
Deputy Director of the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department R.K. Rawat described the joint initiative as inspiring and called for continued exchanges.
A formal program hosted earlier by the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department in Lucknow focused on upcoming tourism strategies, featuring interactions between government agencies and private sector entrepreneurs from both countries.
Twenty-three Nepali businesspersons, government representatives, and media personnel attended the event at the invitation of the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department. Nepal had previously invited Indian tourism entrepreneurs to learn about its tourism sector and announced plans to schedule annual programs to continue these collaborations. -- RSS
