KATHMANDU, June 2: With the theme 'Nepal, Gateway to Himalaya', 3-day-long Himalayan Travel Mart 2018 kicked off in Kathmandu on Friday.
Global buyers, sellers from the Himalayan region, travel bloggers, business lobbyists, national and international media, travel industry professional and delegates from several countries are participating in the second edition of expo.
Altogether 160 international delegates from 37 different countries -- from Europe, North America, South America, Australia, Asia, and the Middle East -- are participating in the event.
The expo is expected to provide all buyers and sellers a platform for networking and sharing knowledge, valuable insights and business opportunities, the organizers said. There are 55 stalls and 54 buyers in the expo.
Himalayan Travel Mart to get continuity in 2018
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the expo, CEO of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) Deepak Raj Joshi hoped that the event would contribute toward promoting Nepal in the international business arena.
Also addressing the event, Marcus Lee, chairman of International China Investment Forum (ICIF), recommended Nepal to change its style of promotional campaigning. He said that Nepal should use a strategy of promoting itself in different countries considering the local culture and customs.
“If you are promoting Nepal in China, then promote it in Chinese way, not Nepali way,” Lee said.
Appreciating Nepal for developing websites in Chinese language, he suggested employing Chinese personnel to handle the website rather than translating the information from Nepali to Chinese.
Chris Bottrill (chairman of Pacific Asia Travel Association, PATA), Madhur Bhandakar (Indian film director, script writer and producer), Rajesh Hamal (Nepali film actor), and William Vazquez (photography tour operator of Camera Voyages) also addressed the occasion.
Similarly, Adrian Hayes (sustainability campaigner), Philip McMaster (sustainability advocate), and other experts spoke on the first phase of event, International Travel Bloggers & Media Conference (ITBMC).
The event that will run till Sunday has been organized by NTB in association with the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, PATA Nepal Chapter, and Nepal Airlines Corporation, with support from a number of travel trade associations and private enterprises.
