Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pandey, highlighted the critical role of the private sector in the development and promotion of the tourism industry. Speaking at the 46th Annual General Meeting of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) held today, Minister Pandey emphasized the importance of expanding partnerships with the private sector to actively drive the growth of the tourism sector.
“The Ministry is ready to collaborate with the private sector to advance tourism development,” stated Minister Pandey. He further added, “The role of the private sector is vital in this endeavor, and civil aviation must also play an effective part in the development of the tourism sector.”
Minister Pandey pointed out the necessity of enhancing aviation safety to attract international tourists, stressing that stakeholders must focus on this aspect. He also informed the audience that efforts are underway to amend Nepal’s tourism development policy, cultural policy, and aviation policy to further boost the sector. The minister noted that a bill, aimed at separating regulatory and service provider bodies to ensure aviation safety, has already moved from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Law.
In a separate context, Minister Pandey expressed confidence that the current government would remain in power until 2084, and stated that the government is prepared to move forward with the support of other political parties as needed.
During the event, State Minister for Tourism, Arun Kumar Chaudhary, also underscored the necessity of coordination and collaboration among stakeholders for the development of the tourism sector.
TAAN President Neel Hari Bastola emphasized the association’s focus on making TAAN more business-friendly and on the conservation and promotion of trekking routes. The election for TAAN’s new leadership is underway, with candidates Rajendra Prasad Sapkota and Sagar Pandey leading their respective panels in a competitive race for the executive committee.
According to TAAN General Secretary Binod Sapkota, voting for the new executive committee began at 1 PM and will continue until 6 PM today. The election will fill 17 of the 25 positions on the executive committee, with the remaining members to be nominated. A total of 1,397 voters are participating in the election.
