Bharat Jung Pandey has been elected President of the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA), leading the new executive committee for the 2026–2028 tenure following the association’s 25th Executive Committee Election held during its 59th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Soaltee Hotel, Kathmandu.
Pandey secured 188 votes to win the presidential race. Yubika Bhandari received 158 votes, while Jiswan Tuladhar Shrestha secured 106 votes. The election has brought together a new leadership team representing different panels, with the newly elected office-bearers set to guide NATTA for the next two years.
Pandey Elected President
The presidential contest was closely watched within Nepal’s travel and tourism industry. Pandey emerged victorious with 188 votes, ahead of Bhandari and Shrestha. Pandey, Director of Everest Miracle Travels & Tours, has more than two decades of experience in Nepal’s tourism sector.
He has previously served as a NATTA Executive Committee Member for the 2020–2022 term and has been actively involved in travel operations, international tourism promotion, B2B networking and tourism-business development. His election comes with an agenda focused on good governance, transparency, greater member participation, international tourism promotion, digital transformation, member protection and business facilitation.
Sunil Sharma Elected Senior Vice President
Sunil Sharma has been elected Senior Vice President with 251 votes, securing the highest vote tally among the elected office-bearers listed in the final results. Sharma’s victory came against Bishnu Pandey, who received 116 votes, and Varun Mehta of the Yubika Bhandari panel, who secured 80 votes.
Sabita KC Bhattarai Wins Vice President Post
Sabita KC Bhattarai has been elected Vice President with 177 votes. She competed against Pragya Pathak Sharma, who received 133 votes, and Dhak Nath Kafle of the Yubika Bhandari panel, who secured 141 votes. The result places Bhattarai in one of NATTA’s key leadership positions for the new two-year tenure.
Raj Kumar Devkota Elected Secretary General
Raj Kumar Devkota has been elected Secretary General after securing 158 votes. He defeated Sushil Pant, who received 141 votes, and Krishna Prasad Dhakal from the Yubika Bhandari panel, who secured 149 votes. The Secretary General will have a central role in coordinating the association’s institutional activities and implementing decisions of the executive committee.
Ramesh Parajuli Wins Secretary Position
Ramesh Parajuli has been elected Secretary with 195 votes. He competed against Ramesh Ghimire, who secured 113 votes, and Shraddha Joshi of the Yubika Bhandari panel, who received 140 votes.
Diki Sherpa Elected Treasurer
Diki Sherpa has secured the Treasurer position with 208 votes. Sherpa defeated Krishna Prasad Dhakal, who received 123 votes, and Rama Kumari Pyakurel from the Yubika Bhandari panel, who secured 114 votes. The Treasurer will be responsible for supporting the association’s financial management and contributing to its goal of becoming a financially stronger and more sustainable organization.
Jeevan Koirala Wins Joint Secretary/Joint Treasurer
Jeevan Koirala has been elected Joint Secretary/Joint Treasurer with 166 votes. Koirala competed against Dr. Bimala Dahal, who received 154 votes, and Bidur Khatiwada of the Yubika Bhandari panel, who secured 102 votes.
Executive Committee Members Elected
The newly elected executive committee also includes representatives from different panels. Smarika Thapa, from the Yubika Bhandari panel, secured the highest number of votes among the elected executive members with 211 votes.
Other elected executive members are Prakash Lohani with 210 votes, Nabin Gurung with 205 votes, Dinesh Mainali with 189 votes, Suman Lal Shrestha with 188 votes, Swastika Pradhan with 184 votes, Sanket Dahal of the Yubika Bhandari panel with 165 votes, and Bibash Poudel of the Yubika Bhandari panel with 158 votes.
The executive committee results are as follows:
| Position | Name | Votes Secured |
| President | Bharat Jung Pandey | 188 |
| Senior Vice President | Sunil Sharma | 251 |
| Vice President | Sabita KC Bhattarai | 177 |
| Secretary General | Raj Kumar Devkota | 158 |
| Secretary | Ramesh Parajuli | 195 |
| Treasurer | Diki Sherpa | 208 |
| Joint Secretary / Joint Treasurer | Jeevan Koirala | 166 |
| Executive Member | Ms. Smarika Thapa (Yubika Bhandari’s Panel) | 211 |
| Executive Member | Prakash Lohani | 210 |
| Executive Member | Nabin Gurung | 205 |
| Executive Member | Dinesh Mainali | 189 |
| Executive Member | Suman Lal Shrestha | 188 |
| Executive Member | Swastika Pradhan | 184 |
| Executive Member | Sanket Dahal (Yubika Bhandari’s Panel) | 165 |
| Executive Member | Bibash Poudel (Yubika Bhandari’s Panel) | 158 |
Strong Competition Among Presidential Candidates
The presidential election featured three candidates representing different leadership visions for NATTA. Bharat Jung Pandey emerged victorious with 188 votes, followed by Yubika Bhandari with 158 votes and Jiswan Tuladhar Shrestha with 106 votes. The competition also extended across the other executive positions, with candidates from the Jiswan Tuladhar Shrestha and Yubika Bhandari panels contesting against candidates who ultimately secured positions in the new executive committee.
Jiswan Tuladhar Shrestha Panel
Jiswan Tuladhar Shrestha Panel fielded a broad team of candidates for the NATTA Executive Committee Election, with Bishnu Pandey contesting for Senior Vice President, Pragya Pathak Sharma for Vice President, Sushil Pant for Secretary General, Ramesh Ghimire for Secretary, Krishna Prasad Dhakal for Treasurer, and Dr. Bimala Dahal for Joint Secretary/Joint Treasurer. The panel also included Trilochan Neupane, Anu Adhikari (Raut), Sudarshan Gajurel, Dinesh Ghimire, Roman Sapkota, Ashok Kumar Baniya, Jamuna Pandey (Upadhyaya), and Rojina Ranjit as candidates for various executive committee positions.
Yubika Bhandari Panel
Yubika Bhandari Panel also presented a comprehensive team for the NATTA election, with Varun Mehta contesting for Senior Vice President, Dhak Nath Kafle for Vice President, Krishna Prasad Dhakal for Secretary General, Shraddha Joshi for Secretary, Rama Kumari Pyakurel for Treasurer, and Bidur Khatiwada for Joint Secretary/Joint Treasurer. The panel further included Pradeep Prasad Udaya, Bibash Poudel (Win), Shree Ram Thapa, Ms. Smarika Thapa (Win), Sanket Dahal (Win), Dr. Umesh Gupta, Hom Bahadur Pariyar, and Rajendra Prasad Tripathi as candidates for executive committee positions.
New Leadership to Focus on Tourism Industry Priorities
The newly elected NATTA leadership takes charge at an important time for Nepal’s tourism and travel industry. The association is expected to play a stronger role in international tourism promotion, travel-trade development, policy advocacy and business facilitation.
Pandey’s proposed priorities include strengthening international tourism promotion, improving coordination with airlines and embassies, promoting digital services through Digital NATTA, developing inbound and multi-country tour operations, supporting sustainable tourism infrastructure and protecting the interests of NATTA members.
Two-Year Tenure Begins
With the conclusion of the 25th Executive Committee Election, Bharat Jung Pandey and his newly elected team will lead NATTA for the 2026–2028 tenure. The new leadership is expected to combine institutional experience with new participation from tourism entrepreneurs to strengthen NATTA’s role as a representative organization of Nepal’s tour and travel sector. The coming two years will be particularly important for expanding international markets, improving business conditions for travel companies and enhancing Nepal’s position in the global tourism market.
