Jun 07, Kathmandu - Nepal's tourism destinations have been promoted at the Seoul International Travel Fair (SITF) 2026 held in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. A team of 7 Nepali tourism entrepreneurs led by the Nepal Tourism Board promoted Nepal's attractive and excellent tourist destinations at the SITF-2026 held from June 4 to 7 at the COEX Exhibition Center in Seoul.

During the four-day international tourism fair, a high-level team led by Shin Joong-Mok, President and CEO of the Korea Outbound Tourism Association (KOFTA), visited the Nepal Pavilion. Similarly, Nirmal Prasad Bhattarai, Acting Ambassador of the Nepali Embassy in South Korea, along with the embassy team, visited the pavilion and interacted with visitors and participating tourism entrepreneurs.

During the program, famous Korean artist Hwang Man-seok presented a photo of his famous 'Gangnam Style' statue to the Nepal Tourism Board as a gift. The fair, which was attended by about 45,000 spectators and visitors, showed significant interest in the Nepal Pavilion from Korean tourism professionals and the general public. The tourism professionals participating in the fair sought information, especially on trekking, visa procedures for visiting Nepal, and air connectivity.

The participation of Nepali tourism professionals under the leadership of the board has provided Nepali tourism professionals with an important opportunity to strengthen relations with existing business partners and expand new business collaborations. Meanwhile, the Nepal Tourism Board also participated in the World Tourism Industry Conference (WTIC) 2026, held in Seoul and Suwon from June 4 to 6. The conference was attended by tourism leaders and destination representatives from around the world. At the event, the board's acting director Sunil Sharma gave a presentation on global tourism trends and their impact on Nepal's tourism sector.

Seoul International Travel Fair-2026 has been established as an important international platform for promoting the latest trends, innovative tourism products, and destinations in the global tourism market, including Korea. Various experience exchange programs, tourism exhibitions, and special travel packages were presented at the fair.

South Korea is one of the important tourism source markets in Asia. From where about 30 million citizens travel abroad annually. Korea is also a quality tourism source market with high potential for Nepal. In 2025 alone, more than 23,000 Korean tourists visited Nepal. Korean tourists are particularly attracted to trekking, mountaineering and Nepal's Buddhist heritage.

Senior Manager Archana KC Rana and Senior Officer Sushila Kumari Baral of the Nepal Tourism Board coordinated Nepal's participation in SITF 2026 and collaborated with the organizers, Nepali delegation and visitors. The board has expressed confidence that this participation will further strengthen Nepal's tourism promotion in the Korean market.