The 7th Annual General Assembly and 4th Convention of the Tourism Entrepreneur Women Association Nepal (TEWAN) concluded successfully with the unanimous election of a new executive committee. The organization extended warm congratulations to the newly elected team who will lead the association in its upcoming tenure.
The election results were announced during a formal gathering held in Pokhara, where senior tourism professionals and stakeholders participated actively. The newly elected executive committee members are as follows:
Newly Elected Executive Committee of TEWAN
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| President | Shobha Neupane Pandey |
| Vice President | Anita Khadka Bhattarai |
| Secretary | Shobha Adhikari Poudel |
| Joint Secretary | Shanta Subedi Timilsina |
| Treasurer | Sharda Lamsal |
| Senior Member | Kamala Gurung |
| Member | Meena Baral Lama |
| Member | Bishnu Maya Gurung |
| Member | Gyanu Shrestha |
| Member | Sudha Subedi Baral |
| Member | Jaya Karki |
Hutaraj Shrestha Memorial Tourism Award Conferred
In a special segment of the event, the prestigious Hutaraj Shrestha Memorial Tourism Award was presented to two distinguished tourism professionals from Gandaki Province – veteran entrepreneur Haridwaj Tulachan and young tourism leader Urmila Gurung.
Honorable Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Mr. Badri Prasad Pandey, handed over the awards, which included a cash prize of NPR 15,505, a certificate of honor, and a traditional Dosalla shawl.
The award is supported by an endowment fund established in memory of Pokhara’s legendary tourism entrepreneur Hutaraj Shrestha. His wife, Tumla Shrestha, donated NPR 551,111 last year and added another NPR 100,000 this year to the fund. According to outgoing Immediate Past President (IPP) Kamala Giri, this is the first time the award has been presented under the annual scheme.
The awardees were selected by a committee coordinated by Sanjaykant Sigdel. 81-year-old Haridwaj Tulachan, owner of Dragon Hotel, is revered for his contributions to tourism, social service, and cultural preservation in Pokhara. Similarly, 36-year-old Urmila Gurung has demonstrated exemplary leadership in South Asia’s first tourism village, Sirubari.
Minister Highlights Tourism Development Plans
Speaking at the event, Minister Pandey praised TEWAN’s activities and emphasized the importance of encouraging private investment in tourism. He highlighted the government’s commitment to formulating standards for hotels, introducing tourism and civil aviation acts, and establishing provincial tourism boards across all seven provinces.
In addition, TEWAN also unveiled its annual souvenir publication titled “Parikalpana.” This convention marked another milestone in TEWAN’s journey to empower women in tourism and promote sustainable tourism development in Nepal.
