Nepal Tourism Board & Tour Operators Make a Splash at the Queen Mary

Photo Credit: Ruksana Hussain

There was a full house and record attendance for the  Nepal Tourism Board trade event organized by the eTN Summit.  Over 110 travel professionals and travel writers from Los Angeles to San Diego attended, and fourteen tour operators showcased their offering in Nepal.

Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO, Nepal Tourism Board addresses travel agents and press.

The main message from Deepak Joshi, CEO of the Nepal Tourism Board and the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism Nepal is, "Nepal is open for tourism business!" The event hashtag was #NepalNow.  The U.S lifted its travel advisory relating to the 2015 earthquake  in Nepal. "Nepal is resilient."according to Mr. Joshi.  Adding  "Nepal is on its way to being on top of the mountain!" 

Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO, Nepal Tourism Board Meets Camille Hoheb, President, Wellness Tourism Worldwide

Taking place at the swanky and historic Queen Salon in the legendary Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, attendees enjoyed a delicious lunch while learning about this exotic land. This I really enjoyed because Nepal is on my bucket list.

Here are some interesting facts and highlights from the presentation:

• 125 ethnic groups speaking 123 dialects (talk about diversity!)
• 8% of the world's bird species
• 60 years of tourism handling
• U.S. relations were established in Katmandu in 1959
• In 2014 there were roughly 50K U.S. visitors
• In 2015 there were roughly 43K U.S. visitors 
• 4 Unesco sites
• Nepal is the birthplace of Buddha and is home to many temples
• Nepal of course has Mt. Everest - as well as 327 awesome peaks
• Turkish Airlines, Etihad, Qatar, Emirates, Thai Airlines and Singapore Airlines fly into Nepal. 
• The tagline of the Nepal Tourism Board is "Naturally Nepal: Once is Not Enough"

In speaking to one of the tour operators, when asked about wellness travel, a big smile came over his face as he explained "that wellness is built into the way people live in Nepal." Adding, "It is what we do! We bow to the sun in the morning and give thanks. We bow to the moon in the evening to give thanks." Wow! In the U.S. who does that? I'm going to give this a shot. My ritual starts with looking at my IPhone and ends the same way. Obviously I could learn a lot from a trip to Nepal!

I believe the Nepal Tourism Board and every tour operator attending deserves exposure. This is not an endorsement since I have no experience with Nepal, but rather a way to extend goodwill and support Nepal in getting back to the top of the hill!

1. Aavash Travels and Treks
2. Hotel Barashi/Barashi Jungle Lodge
3. The Explore Nepal Group
4. Epic Himalaya Adventure Trek Pvt
5. Everest Paragliding Pvt.
6. Exodus Trek & Expeditions
7. Fishtail Nepal Paragliding Pvt.
8. Hotel Manag Pvt.
9. Sea Links Travels Pvt.
10. Visit Karnali Tours and Travels Pvt. 
11. Thamserku Trekking Pvt.
12. Yeti Group of Companies
13. Explore Himalaya Travel & Adventure
14. Expedition Himalaya

Learning in a relaxed environment is a lesson for all destinations. This was a great location with a generous lunch and plenty of time to mingle and talk about a country that has much to offer travelers.

Congratulations to all of those involved! Thank you for the invitation.
For More Info: Nepal Tourism Board