Dec 11, Kathmandu- Embassy of India, Kathmandu in association with the Nepal Tourism Board jointly organized the 1st India-Nepal Tourism Meet on 10 December 2024. The event focused on promotion of Mahakumbh 2025 in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh and creating B2B connections to foster implementation of circuit tourism between India and Nepal.

Minister of State for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Government of Nepal Arun Kumar Chaudhary was the Chief Guest at the plenary session of the Meet.  Minister of State along with Shri Prasanna Shrivastava, Cd’A a.i., Embassy of India and Mr. Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO, Nepal Tourism Board inaugurated the session.

In his opening remarks, Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO, Nepal Tourism Board appreciated that India was the biggest source of foreign tourists visiting Nepal and highlighted the various initiatives taken by the Nepal Tourism Board to foster India-Nepal tourism.

The Chief Guest Hon’ble Minister of State for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Arun Kumar Chaudhary in his remarks mentioned that cross border tourism especially through land routes is a big contributor to tourism in Nepal even though not totally captured in formal statistics. He also suggested that both sides need to focus on cross border connectivity particularly in remote areas such as in the Sudurpaschim Province.

In his remarks, Shri Prasanna Shrivastava, Cd’A a.i., Embassy of India, underscored the developments in physical and digital connectivity that are driving higher tourism flows between India and Nepal. He also stressed on continued joint efforts of both sides to fully leverage the India-Nepal tourism potential, including through promotion of religious and cultural circuits involving places in Nepal and the neighbouring states of India.

Kirti, Tourism Officer, Government of Uttar Pradesh delivered a presentation on Mahakumbh 2025 that showcased the importance of the event especially for Nepalese devotees.

The event concluded with a mesmerizing Kathak dance performance by an eight-member troupe from India supported by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR).

The B2B event at the Meet was attended by 13 delegates from India and 60 tour operators from Nepal. The discussions focused on promoting cross-border tourism especially through the land route. Tour operators from both sides deliberated on possible travel plans for visitors from both sides including in the context of Ramayana and Buddhist circuits.

As part of the programme, Nepal Tourism Board had organized a familiarization trip for visiting delegates and tour operators from the state of Uttar Pradesh to Janakpur and Kathmandu from 8-9 December 2024.