The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has successfully concluded its participation at the Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) Mumbai 2026, held at the Jio World Convention Centre, marking a significant strategic milestone in Nepal’s tourism promotion efforts. This year’s participation stood out for its unprecedented scale, strong market response, and heightened interest from the Indian travel trade, reaffirming India’s position as Nepal’s most important source market.
Nepal Wins Prestigious International Tourism Award
Adding to the success, Nepal was honored with the Best Adventure & Experiential Tourism Award 2026, following its recognition as the Best Adventure Destination in 2025. The consecutive international accolades further reinforce Nepal’s global reputation as a leading hub for adventure, experiential, and community-based tourism. The award reflects Nepal’s strength in offering high-adrenaline activities combined with authentic cultural and local experiences that resonate strongly with international travelers.
Indian Market Shows Strong Growth Momentum
Despite recent regional shifts, Nepal’s tourism sector demonstrated notable resilience and recovery. According to NTB, interest from Indian travelers surged by approximately 30 percent in January 2026 compared to the same period last year. Capitalizing on this positive trend, Nepal was represented at OTM Mumbai by a delegation of 34 leading tourism companies, presenting a diverse range of offerings including classic trekking routes, luxury mountain resorts, heritage hotels, wellness retreats, and MICE facilities.
Promoting Seamless Travel Through Digital Integration
A major highlight of Nepal’s participation was the promotion of “frictionless travel” for Indian visitors. NTB emphasized the advantage of the 1,850-kilometer open Nepal–India border and the landmark digital payment integration between NPCI and Fonepay. Through this system, Indian travelers can now use UPI-enabled applications such as Google Pay and PhonePe at more than one million merchant locations across Nepal, significantly enhancing travel convenience.
This digital ease, coupled with Nepal’s positioning as a destination for spiritual rejuvenation and relief from modern “techno-anxiety” through nature-based and wellness experiences, enabled the Nepal Pavilion to outperform several regional competitors in terms of visitor engagement and trade interest.
Leadership Highlights Strategic Market Alignment
Reflecting on the successful participation, Mr. Suman Ghimire, Senior Manager of Nepal Tourism Board, stated that Nepal’s authentic and community-backed tourism products have found deep resonance within the Indian market.
“Nepal’s presence at OTM Mumbai 2026 has strongly reinforced our image as a stable, safe, and extraordinary destination. While there is a growing need to increase flight frequency to match rising demand, our diverse offerings, from adventure and luxury to casino tourism and sacred pilgrimage circuits, continue to set Nepal apart in the regional tourism landscape,” he said.
High-Visibility Pavilion and Strong B2B Engagement
Strategically positioned within the Jio World Convention Centre, the 220-square-meter Nepal Pavilion ensured maximum visibility and facilitated high-impact B2B interactions. The delegation was led by Mr. Suman Ghimire and supported by Senior Officers Sagar Shrestha, Siddhartha Viswakarma, and Pradip Gaire, along with Office Assistant Jhamak Prasad Ghimire.
Through targeted networking and effective destination storytelling, NTB successfully repositioned Nepal from being perceived primarily as a trekking destination to a multifaceted tourism hub encompassing luxury, wellness, spiritual, adventure, and business tourism.
Strengthening Nepal’s Position in the Indian Market
NTB stated that the outcomes of OTM Mumbai 2026 will play a crucial role in strengthening Nepal’s tourism recovery and long-term growth strategy. With sustained engagement in the Indian market and continued emphasis on quality, sustainability, and experience-driven tourism, Nepal aims to further solidify its standing as one of South Asia’s most compelling travel destinations.
