Nepal Tourism Board Holds Final Validation Workshop on International Marketing Strategy and Five-Year Action Plan (2026-2030)

June 2, 2026

Row of professionally dressed attendees seated in a red-carpeted conference hall.

The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), with support from United Nations Development Programme Sustainable Tourism Project, Successfully organized the Final Validation Workshop on the “International Marketing Strategy and Five-Year Action Plan (2026–2030)” at the NTB Auditorium Hall in Kathmandu on 25 May 2026. The workshop brought together more than 100 participants representing government agencies, tourism associations, development partners, private sector stakeholders, and civil society organizations.

The strategy aims to develop a strategic, actionable, and brand-driven international marketing framework that strengthens Nepal’s global tourism appeal, increases international tourist arrivals, enhances visitor satisfaction, and promotes sustainable and high-quality tourism practices in priority markets.

The workshop was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management (NATHM), Nepal Association of Rafting Agencies (NARA), Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN), Tourist Guide Association of Nepal (TURGAN), National Federation of the Deaf Nepal (NDFN), News Agency Nepal (NAN), Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA), Blue Diamond Society (BDS), Animal Nepal, and other key stakeholders from Nepal’s tourism sector.

Photograph of a speaker at a podium on a stage with red curtains. — Photo: UNDP Nepal/ Nepal Tourism Board

During the workshop, the draft strategy and action plan were presented by Sujeev Shakya and Lisa Choegyal from Beed Management. The presentation highlighted global tourism trends, Nepal’s tourism recovery status, strategic market priorities, branding and positioning approaches, digital marketing strategies, partnership frameworks, destination diversification, and institutional strengthening measures for NTB.

The proposed strategy emphasizes transitioning Nepal’s tourism model “from volume to value” by promoting high-quality visitor experiences, strengthening Nepal’s brand identity, diversifying tourism products and markets, enhancing digital presence, and ensuring sustainable and inclusive tourism growth. The strategy is structured around six key pillars: institutional capacity strengthening, Nepal brand repositioning, tourism product diversification, industry partnerships, digital integration and innovation, and sector professionalization and quality assurance.

Speaking at the workshop, Dharma Swarnakar- UNDP Assistant Resident Representative, emphasized that tourism must be advanced with special priority to contribute to Nepal’s economic prosperity. He noted that the presented strategy is highly relevant and comprehensive, highlighting not only the importance of improving the quality of tourism services but also the need to increase tourist arrivals. Referring to Nepal’s 16th Plan target of increasing tourist arrivals to 2.5 million within the next three years, he stressed that the strategy should focus on both value and volume together.

Man with blurred face speaks at a podium labeled Nepal Tourism Board, red curtain behind. — Photo: UNDP Nepal/ Nepal Tourism Board

Similarly, Hikmat Singh Ayer, Acting CEO, NTB, stated that the responsibility for tourism promotion lies primarily with the Nepal Tourism Board and emphasized that the strategy should be institutionalized across all provinces, including Koshi, Karnali, and Sudurpashchim, to strengthen local ownership and grassroots participation.

STP Project Manager, Dharmaraj Dawadi, highlighted that the strategy will support efforts to extend tourists’ length of stay, improve the quality of tourism services, and ensure that local communities directly benefit from tourism development initiatives.

Addressing the workshop, Khadga Bikram Shah, Senior Manager, Nepal Tourism Board remarked that the strategy comes at a crucial time for Nepal as the global tourism industry continues to evolve rapidly. He noted that travelers today increasingly seek authentic experiences, wellness tourism, nature-based tourism, sustainability, digital accessibility, and meaningful community engagement. He further emphasized that Nepal possesses immense potential to respond to these emerging global trends through its unique natural beauty, cultural diversity, spiritual heritage, adventure opportunities, and warm hospitality.

Following the presentation, an interactive question and answer session was conducted, during which participants raised several key concerns and provided constructive suggestions regarding the proposed strategy and implementation plan. Representatives from Beed Management and NTB responded to the queries and clarified various strategic and operational aspects of the document.

To ensure inclusivity and meaningful participation, sign language interpretation services were provided throughout the workshop for participants with hearing disabilities.

NTB expressed sincere appreciation to all participating organizations, experts, and stakeholders for their valuable contributions, constructive feedback, and continued collaboration toward building a more competitive, resilient, inclusive, and sustainable tourism sector in Nepal.