India-Nepal Tourism Meet held in Pokhara to Strengthen Bilateral Tourism Partnership

The second India–Nepal Tourism Meet successfully concluded in Pokhara, focusing on enhancing tourism cooperation between India and Nepal, particularly between India’s Uttar Pradesh and Nepal’s Gandaki Province, the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) said.

The event was jointly organised by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu and the Pokhara Tourism Council, with NTB coordinating the programme in collaboration with the Indian Embassy.

The programme also celebrated the International Year of Cooperative Tourism while promoting Gandaki Province’s tourism potential to international markets. Chief Guest Surendra Raj Pandey, Chief Minister of Gandaki Province, welcomed the initiative, noting that focusing on destinations like Pokhara and the Muktinath region would help expand tourism cooperation with India.

NTB Chief Executive Officer Deepak Raj Joshi provided a detailed presentation on Nepal’s overall tourism landscape, primary markets, and future strategies. Highlighting India as the largest source of international tourists visiting Nepal, he discussed NTB initiatives aimed at institutionalising and enhancing India–Nepal tourism cooperation. He emphasised that both countries could benefit through religious, cultural, adventure, and nature-based tourism.

Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy, Dr. Rakesh Pandey, noted that recent improvements in connectivity have given cross-border tourism new momentum. He stressed the importance of cooperation in jointly promoting religious and cultural tourism circuits and coordinated development of border-focused tourism.

Dinesh Kumar, Deputy Director of Tourism, Uttar Pradesh, presented key tourism circuits in the state and highlighted best practices in policy implementation. He also promoted the upcoming Magh Mela as a key attraction for Indian tourists.

The B2B session included participation from about 10 tourism professionals from India and 60 from Nepal. Discussions focused on promoting cross-border tourism via land routes, Buddhist circuits, wildlife tourism, adventure tourism, and spiritual tourism, according to NTB.

As part of the programme’s continuity, NTB and the Pokhara Tourism Council organised a familiarisation trip (fam trip) for the Uttar Pradesh delegation from Dec 15 to Dec 17, allowing them to experience Pokhara and nearby destinations firsthand and explore practical avenues for tourism collaboration.

NTB expressed confidence that such regional and cross-border initiatives will further strengthen India–Nepal tourism relations.