New Nepal Tourism Board Members Pledge Stronger Private Sector Collaboration, Good Governance

KATHMANDU: Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Nepal Tourism Board, Hikmat Singh Air, has welcomed five newly appointed executive committee members representing the private sector, with a commitment to strengthen collaboration between the government and private sector and promote Nepal’s tourism industry more effectively.

The new board members, appointed by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation on July 16, were formally welcomed at the Tourism Board on Monday.

During the welcome programme, Acting CEO Air briefed the newly appointed members on the objectives behind the establishment of the Nepal Tourism Board, its policies and programmes, and major achievements to date. He also shared details of programmes completed during the last fiscal year, the board’s organisational structure, and the opportunities and challenges facing the tourism sector.

Air also informed the members about the board’s ongoing preparations and initiatives aimed at making Nepal Wellness Year 2027 a success.

The programme highlighted the need to strengthen cooperation between the board and the private sector and to make tourism promotion more result-oriented.

Newly appointed board member Santosh Pokharel said the members would work with all stakeholders to promote Nepal’s tourism industry with new ideas and approaches.

He described the private sector as a crucial link in Nepal’s tourism ecosystem and stressed the need to remove existing obstacles, address sectoral problems and ensure the effective mobilisation of available resources.

Similarly, board member Srijana KC emphasised the effective use of information technology to make Nepal’s tourism industry more competitive. She said she would work to serve as a bridge between the government and private sector to address problems faced by tourism businesses.

KC also called for greater emphasis on research and innovation to support evidence-based policymaking in the tourism sector.

Board member Sahadev Dhamala said the Tourism Board should play an active role in resolving problems faced by the private sector. He suggested that the budget for the upcoming fiscal year should focus on three ‘Ps’—protection, preservation and promotion of the tourism sector.

Board member Pemba Sherpa stressed the need to expedite the process of appointing a permanent Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Tourism Board. He also pledged to ensure continuity of the board’s priority programmes and said institutional interests should be placed above personal interests.

Board member Dr. Sovita Shrestha Dhakal highlighted the importance of quality, research and good governance in policymaking for sustainable tourism development.

She said effective management and stronger coordination among stakeholders were essential to improve the quality of Nepal’s tourism products and services and strengthen the country’s competitiveness in international tourism markets.

The welcome programme concluded with a shared commitment among board officials and the newly appointed members to strengthen Nepal’s tourism sector through active collaboration with the private sector, effective governance and coordinated efforts to make the industry more competitive and sustainable.