Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pandey, returned to Nepal on Wednesday night after completing his official visits to Germany, France, Thailand, and Cambodia. During the visits, he led a team that met with high officials in each country to discuss tourism promotion, cultural exchange, expansion of air services, the return of historical manuscripts from Germany, and the development of religious tourism networks.
In Berlin, the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) awarded Minister Pandey the ‘Tourism Minister of the Year’ award for the Himalayan region at the World Tourism and Aviation Summit. During his visit, he held bilateral and multilateral meetings with various partners with the aim of establishing Nepal as a major tourist destination.
Minister Pandey met with tourism entrepreneurs, investors, and the Nepali community in Germany and France to share information about tourism infrastructure and investment opportunities in Nepal. He also worked on expanding cooperation with Thailand and Cambodia in promoting religious and cultural tourism. During his visit to Germany, he shared that the Nepali government is in the process of developing clear policies for the restoration of cultural heritage.
Minister Pandey expressed his happiness about the preservation of Nepal’s ancient manuscripts and written heritage in Germany, calling for cooperation in bringing them back to Nepal. He highlighted the ongoing cooperation between the Nepali government and German universities for the protection of Nepal’s written and cultural heritage. The Nepali Ambassador to Germany, Dr. Shail Rupakheti, committed to making every effort to return the important manuscripts and other artifacts to Nepal.
In Paris, Minister Pandey participated in the ‘Nepal Evening’ event, organized by the Nepali Embassy and Nepal Tourism Board, where he invited French citizens to visit Nepal. During his meeting with the tourism minister of Cambodia, Hout Hak, and the Minister of Culture and Religious Affairs, Chhay Borin, he discussed the potential for building a religious tourism network, direct air services, and collaboration in the creation of a broader Buddha Circuit between Nepal and Cambodia.
