A recent meeting of the Tourism Subject Committee, held in Pokhara, the tourism capital of Nepal, has decided to form a committee to study the development and expansion standards of pathways. The meeting was chaired by the Federal Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pandey, and included the participation of provincial tourism ministers.
During a press conference held to announce the decisions made in the meeting, Minister Pandey stated that the newly formed committee will prepare a study report to be presented at the next Tourism Subject Committee meeting. The committee will be led by the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation and will include the Director General of the Tourism Department, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nepal Tourism Board, representatives from the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN), tourism secretaries from all seven provinces, and representatives from the municipalities and rural municipalities.
The committee will convene every three months in different provinces, with the next meeting scheduled to take place in Thakur Dwara, Lumbini.
Minister Pandey highlighted several issues raised during the meeting, including the challenges faced by tourists arriving via land routes compared to those traveling by air, such as security checks and restrictions on Indian tourists bringing more than NPR 25,000. He assured that efforts would be made to address these issues with the relevant ministries, and they will be systematically presented at a coordination council meeting chaired by the Prime Minister.
Additionally, Minister Pandey provided an update on the ongoing efforts to facilitate international flights from Pokhara International Airport. He mentioned preliminary discussions regarding the potential purchase of at least two twin-otter aircraft from Nepal Airlines to enhance air transport services within the provinces.
The discussions also covered the possibility of procuring and operating aircraft transparently through investment from the federal, provincial, and local governments, as well as the general public, to improve transportation in a geographically diverse country like Nepal.
In light of Pokhara’s declaration as the tourism capital, Minister Pandey expressed a commitment to proactively addressing existing policy complexities, preparation, and legal arrangements to support the development of the tourism sector.
