NEWS

Agitating locals of Hanumandhoka have handed over a memorandum to Axel Plathe, the head of the Unesco Nepal, appealing for attention concerning an agreement reached by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) with a private body to merge the tourist ...[more]...

Turkish Airlines — one of the leading European airlines — will start direct flights to Kathmandu from Istanbul from September. The airlines will be flying on Istanbul-Kathmandu route four times a week, starting from Septem ...[more]...

Baglung:A team of paragliding pilots led by Sanubabu Sunar has successfully completed paragliding test flight from the highest point in Matelek in Parbat district. The test flight from an altitude of 3,100 meters was carried out in co ...[more]...

In a bid to attract Chinese tourists to Nepal, Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) in association with Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) is organizing ´NATTA China Sales Mission 2013´ from May 15 to 24. A group of ...[more]...

The chariot procession of the rain god, Rato Machhindranath, is all set to begin in Lalitpur on Monday. Guthi Sansthan, the government body authorised to celebrate the festival, said all preparations for this year’s procession a ...[more]...

Excited visitors thronged Kingsway in Durbar Marg on May 11 enjoying the 4th Ncell Purple Saturday. Both sides of the streets were lined with games and food stalls. Purple Ncell balloons were being distributed to the visitors. Sanjeev ...[more]...

Namaste Air, a new private airline, said Thursday that it would begin scheduled flights by mid-June. Issuing a statement, the airline said it signed an agreement with Agni Air to start operations of domestic flights. “Two of Agn ...[more]...

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) is organising the 5th National Tourism Fair 2013 from Friday to promote domestic tourism. “We are trying to make domestic tourism more sustainable,” said manager at NTB Lila Bahadur Baniya. ...[more]...

People across the nation have been observing Mata Tirtha Aunsi (Mother’s Day) on Thursday as a celebration of love and bond between mothers and children. According to Hindu tradition, Mata Tirtha Aunsi is celebrated in the Nepal ...[more]...

Different organisations have sought cancellation of an agreement signed between Kathmandu Metropolitan City Hanumandhoka Durbar Preservation Programme and Side Walkers Pvt Ltd. The agreement stipulates a tourist package that includes Hanumandhoka ...[more]...

A decline in the number of Indian tourist arrivals has once again negatively affected the overall occupancy of hotels. Hotel bookings were not satisfactory in April, stated Hotel Association Nepal. The Indian market, which is consider ...[more]...

StudentUniverse, a technology firm that offers holiday deals for college students, has listed Nepal in No. 1 position in top backpack destinations for college students all over the world. "You are going to have a wonderful experi ...[more]...

Qatar Airways has announced special fares from Kathmandu to all its destinations in Europe, Africa, and North and South America with discounts of up to 25 percent on base fares. According to a statement issued on Thursday, the sale of ...[more]...

Travel agents today threatened to halt sales of air tickets protesting against the arrest of their friend Shyam Raj Thapaliya, promoter of Thamel-based Osho World Travel Nepal. Police had arrested him last week for selling air tickets ...[more]...

Though arrivals via air from other destinations increased, the decrease in arrivals from South Asia, especially India, has pulled down overall tourist arrivals in April. Visitor arrivals in April dropped by 8.9 per cent to 54,119 comp ...[more]...

Though Nepal is well known as an adventure tourism destination, the government has failed to do anything substantial for the sector. “The mountains are being further commercialised but the government has not shown any interest a ...[more]...

Baglung: With the onset of summer, the number of Indian tourists arriving Mustang has increased drastically. Indian tourists visit the region during this time of the year to pay homage to Muktinath, view mysterious landscape and mountain ranges, a ...[more]...

The chief executive officer (CEO) selection sub-committee of the Nepal Tourism Board has resumed the appointment process after 18 months in limbo. On Monday, the sub-committee asked the 12 sho-rtlisted candidates to make their present ...[more]...

Parbat: The number of tourists arriving to visit the Annapurna trekking area has increased as compared to the last year. The Annapurna trekking route is considered as one of the 10 most famous trekking routes in the world. ...[more]...

KIRTIPUR: In a bid to promote tourism in the Chobhar area‚ a south-western belt of the capital city‚ the Jalbinayak Community Forest Users’ Group organised a visit for mediapersons. More than 40 journalists from diff ...[more]...

Solukhumbhu: As many as 30,443 tourists have visited Mt. Everest area during a nine- month period of the current fiscal year 2069- 70 BS. According to the Sagarmatha National Park's Office at Jorsalle entry point, a total of 369 touri ...[more]...

The average length of stay of tourists in Nepal has slipped to 12.87 days in 2012 from 13.12 days in 2011, according to the latest tourism statistics of the Tourism Ministry. Government officials and travel trade entrepreneurs attributed the fall ...[more]...

The recently formed two-member sub-committee of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) is preparing to announce names of three shortlisted candidates for the position of NTB chief executive. “We now have only 12 days left to shortlist three ...[more]...

Solukhumbu: It has been learnt that actors Nisha Adhikari and Arjun Kari, who are currently at the Everest Base Camp to scale the Mt Everest, have not acquired expedition permit from the tourism ministry. According to Sagarmatha Pollu ...[more]...

Pokhara: Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) is all set to introduce a code of conduct for tourism entrepreneurs in Pokhara. New norms for individuals and organizations involved in tourism business are to be announced Saturday. According to Tik ...[more]...

Pokhara: A leading travel agency based in Pokhara is starting tourist bus service between Pokhara and Sauraha - two popular tourist destinations in the country - from Tuesday. Mountain Overland Tours and Travels is operating comfortab ...[more]...

More than 100 Nepali traders will be taking part in the first China South Asia Expo 2013 to be held from June 6 in Kunming, Yunnan province, China. The government of Yunnan province organized a promotional event in Kathmandu on Monday ...[more]...

Board members of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) have finally formed a sub-committee to select a new chief executive. The board meeting on Monday decided to form a committee comprising of board members Dhurba Narayan Shrestha and Phurba Gyalzen Sherpa, ...[more]...

Shesh Ghale, the Australia-based Nepali millionaire businessman, has entered into joint venture with Sheraton to operate a five-star hotel in Kathmandu. An agreement, in this regard, has been signed between Ghale´s MIT Group Hol ...[more]...

Actress Nisha Adhikari will soon be heading to the highest peak of the world. She plans to scale Mt Everest, and supporting her endeavor is Mega Bank. At a press meet on Monday, Mega Bank’s CEO Anil Keshari Shah announced the co ...[more]...

BHAKTAPUR: The stage is all set for the Bisket Jatra festival here in this ancient town. The Bisket Jatra is a famous festival with cultural and historical significance which commences with the start of the Nepali New Year, every year ...[more]...

A hotel staffer has been left with permanent eye damage after an acid attack by a tourist in a guest house in Thamel on Thursday. The attacker, who has been identified as Sales Ali from US, all of sudden came into the Annapurna Guest ...[more]...

Pokhara: A new ultralight flights operator is coming up in Pokhara.Pokhara Ultralight Company is commencing operation in the tourist town within one and half months. At present, Avia Club has been operating ultralight flights in Pokhara. ...[more]...

The increase in the number of Chinese tourists coming to Nepal could help the country balance its trade deficit with China, according to newly appointed ambassador of China to Nepal Wu Chuntai. Addressing a meeting with the Federation ...[more]...

Foreign visitor arrivals by air in Nepal dropped 2.1 percent to 62,442 in March, one of the major tourist seasons, compared to the same month last year. Drop in travellers from South Asia, particularly from India, has been attributed ...[more]...

Yoga trekking, which started about a year ago, is gaining popularity in Pokhara and surrounding areas. According to people promoting yoga trekking, trekkers have liked the new way of trekking that helps relieve fatigue. Purna Yoga and ...[more]...

Due to disagreements between the private sector members of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), the sub-committee to select the chief executive officer could not be formed once again. The meeting held on Friday, was unable to select members to ...[more]...

Trekking Agencies´ Association of Nepal (TAAN) has initiated the process of exploring new trekking routes in Humla district. Issuing a press statement on Sunday, TAAN sayid a seven-member team led by Rana Bahadur Khadka, its 2nd ...[more]...

Lalitpur: Streets of Patan are filled with the smell of Newari dishes and flecked with sparkling colors of traditional costumes even as resounding melodies of folk songs take the visitors back to the historical days. Lalitpur folks ar ...[more]...

Pokhara: Latest in the series of opening of new resorts with big investment is Atithi Resort and Spa, which came into operation in Lakeside of Pokhara on Friday. The resort, which claims to provide services equivalent to those extended by f ...[more]...

Nepal’s travel and tourism sector accounted for 3.6 percent of the total employment in the country in 2012, according to Travel and Tourism Economic Impact 2012 Nepal published by the World Travel and Tourism Council ( WTTC ). T ...[more]...

Board members of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) are set to hold another meeting on Friday to decide on the formation of a sub-committee. Due to repeated failures in forming a sub-committee in any of the board meetings, NTB, publishing a ge ...[more]...

Due to access to motorable roads to trekking destinations, trekkers have cut short the length of stay. Earlier trekkers usually had at least a 10-day trekking schedule, but the length of both treks and stays has gone down due to motorable roads to ...[more]...

Wait for four months, and you’ll get to see UWTC in a new avatar,” Sandeep Hirachan, managing director of United World Trade Centre (UWTC) said on Friday. “Visitors will get to see a new ambience and structure inside the mall.&rd ...[more]...

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE SAN FRANCISCO: Google has added views from some of the world’s tallest mountains to scenes woven into its popular online map service. Arm chair explorers were invited to take virtual adventures with me ...[more]...

The 24th National Industrial Exhibition kicked off at Bhrikuti Mandap Exhibition Hall on Wednesday. The five-day event is being organized by Cottage and Small Industries Development Board (CSIDB) with the objective to promote goods manufactured by ...[more]...

Ishani Shrestha was crowned Miss Nepal World 2013 during the grand finale held at Nepal Academy Hall, Kamaladi on Wednesday evening. “I am beyond happy. Thank you for getting me here. My hard work and determination has paid off, ...[more]...

Internationally acclaimed weekly magazine Time has rated Garden of Dreams as one of the favourite places to visit in the Soul section of its Travel Special. “If you find yourself in the frenetic Thamel tourist district of Kathma ...[more]...

Internationally acclaimed weekly magazine Time has rated Garden of Dreams as one of the favourite places to visit in the Soul section of its Travel Special. “If you find yourself in the frenetic Thamel tourist district of Kathma ...[more]...

“Everything comes to an end‚” shares reigning Miss Nepal Shristi Shrestha‚ who was crowned Miss Nepal 2012 on May 6‚ 2012‚ and whose reign as Miss Nepal comes to an end on March 20 as Fanta The Hidd ...[more]...

For the adventure junkies, it is always about pushing the limits, exploring new places just so they can feel that adrenaline rush. Be it surfing against the huge waves, skiing down the highest mountains of the world or parachuting from the tallest ...[more]...

Due to repeated disturbances in the tourism sector, tourism entrepreneurs, at a press meet, have announced that they will not pay taxes as part of their protest programme. “We are waiting for the government’s move on the i ...[more]...

The government has formulated a new standard to issue long-term visas to foreign investors. Sources at Department of Industry (DoI) say the government will issue a maximum of five-year visa to foreign investors who meet certain terms ...[more]...

Hotel room occupancy went down by around 10 percent over the first two months of 2013 mainly due drop in the number of Indian tourists. Hoteliers said room bookings by Indian tourists for the upcoming months (May-June) also do not look encou ...[more]...

Air travellers will have to open their wallets wider this season. Airlines from the Gulf serving Nepal have hiked airfares prompted by growing seasonal travel demand, and Indian carriers are expected to follow suit. Travel agencies re ...[more]...

"Employees must be given permanent placements‚ appointment letters‚ provident fund and all sorts of facilities an employee should get. One should see from the both sides: from employee's side- how can employees survive ...[more]...

International airlines operating in Nepal posted an 8.33 percent growth in passenger movement in 2012. Figures released by Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) show 29 international carriers, including Nepal Airlines Corporation and ...[more]...

Tourism entrepreneurs have claimed that lack of new innovation in Nepali tourism industry has severely affected the sector. According to Hotel Association Nepal (HAN), there have not been satisfactory arrivals for the Shivaratri festi ...[more]...

With competition among hotels increasing, many hotels have started focusing on marketing through online solution providers. The hoteliers, who were limiting their online activities to having their hotel´s webpage and relying on ...[more]...

Baglung: The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has announced its plan to promote tourism throughout the country by creating 18 tourism zones. Speaking at a workshop organized in Baglung, Lok Bahadur Khatri, a jo ...[more]...

The first two months of 2013 observed a fall in the arrival of Indian tourists.Visitor arrivals from India, which is the largest source market for the country, witnessed a decline of 26.1 per cent in the first month of 2013 and the trend continued ...[more]...

High airfares and convenient surface transportation have caused a decline in domestic air passenger traffic in 2012. According to Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), domestic passenger movement dropped 0.55 percent to 1.575 million in 2012. Air ...[more]...

It´s the world´s highest glass ceiling. Of the 3,755 climbers who have scaled Mount Everest, more than half are Nepalese but only 21 of those locals are women. Aiming to change the all-male image of mountaineering in their ...[more]...

Trekking agencies in the country are adopting environment friendly principles in a bid to contribute toward sustainable tourism development and attract more eco-friendly trekkers. Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN), the umb ...[more]...

Tourist arrivals in February increased by six per cent to 45,123, as compared to the same month last year. The figure was released by Immigration Office, Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA). Arrivals from Asia — o ...[more]...

Drop in the number of adventure tourists is likely to hit rafting business this season. Rafting operators have reported 20 percent drop in booking this season (spring) compared to last year. They, however, are hopeful that last minute ...[more]...

For the Kathmanduites, green and well-maintained parks where families can spend quality time together on holidays have always been a distant dream. It is not that there aren´t parks in the capital at all. The city boasts of spac ...[more]...

Kathmandu used to be a paradise, with everybody dreaming to build a house, get a stable job and live happily. In terms of weather, Kathmandu is one of the best places to live in as far as I have known. But over the past few years, things have chan ...[more]...

Travel trade industrialists are expecting good times this peak tourist season (March-May) after witnessing a slowdown in visitor numbers. Tourist arrivals in Nepal dropped in October last year and the growth rate slowed in November an ...[more]...

When Chhurim Sherpa was a child she was inspired to dream of scaling Mount Everest by the mountaineers heading to the Himalayan peaks which tower over her village in eastern Nepal. But economic and social pressures stood in her way, i ...[more]...

Ace Hotels and Resorts Group is investing Rs 250 million to construct an 8-storied building on the land occupied by Hotel Ambassador in Lazimpat. The group has already shifted operation of the 35-year-old hotel to Chhauni after its bu ...[more]...

Swati Lohia‚ representing Nepal in the ‘Antarctica Expedition 2013’ is all set for her journey to commence on February 28. The expedition is part of the Golden Jubilee celebration of the first ascent of Mount Everest. ...[more]...

To mark the diamond jubilee of the ascent of Mt Everest on May 29, the government is all set to open 23 new peaks. After a series of lobbying by tourism entrepreneurs, the government has finally decided to open 23 new peaks to promote mountain tou ...[more]...

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) bagged the first prize in the category of ‘Best Exhibit’ in Adventure Travel Expo held in Melbourne, Australia. The Expo was organised from February 23-24. During the programme, NTB was awarded th ...[more]...

A Nepali climber was confirmed on Monday as the first woman to scale Mount Everest twice in a single season, Guinness World Records said, after she made the second summit within days of the first. Chhurim Sherpa, 29, reached the 8,848 ...[more]...

A number of foreign carriers have proposed code-share agreement with the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), sources in knowledge of the matter have said. The agreement, if signed, is expected to boost Nepal’s tourism sector and a ...[more]...

The seventh edition of the Nari Wedding and Gift Expo 2013 kicked off at Bhrikutimandap in Kathmandu on Thursday. Also, the sixth edition of Kopila Children Expo 2013 and Nepal International Consumer Expo (NICE) 2013 too began at the same venue. O ...[more]...

The Supreme Court has ordered the government to allow electronic gaming clubs (mini casinos) to operate. The court has nullified the now-defunct Public Accounts Committee (PAC) directives to shut them down until a casino regulation is formulated. ...[more]...

The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has resumed efforts to appoint its chief after a 16-month hiatus. Following orders from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to the NTB board issued two weeks ago to honour the Supreme Court’s d ...[more]...

Pokhara: Underscoring the need to manage the booming paragliding business in Pokhara, paragliding entrepreneurs, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and aviation sports associations are working out paragliding operational directives. ...[more]...

Nepal has participated in the 12th Thai International Tourism Fair held in Thailand. In the tourism fair, Nepal promoted its various tourist products, especially Lumbini and the Buddha, said Sarad Pradhan, Media Officer at Nepal Touri ...[more]...

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) is developing two eco-friendly trekking trails as a part of its tourism infrastructure development project. Once the new trails are developed, Dakchhinkali will be connected ...[more]...

Due to the unstable political situation‚ traditional marketing plans‚ and lack of proper strategy‚ tourism entrepreneurs have said that 2013 might observe a fall in total tourist arrivals. Though the length of stay i ...[more]...

Hotels in Pokhara are offering discounts to domestic tourists on both room tariff and food on the occasion of Valentine´s Day. They announced the discount--the first of its kind--in a bid to promote domestic tourism in the western Nepali cit ...[more]...

The Restaurant and Bar Association, Sauraha, is organizing Sauraha Food Festival from February 13 to 16 in Sauraha, Chitwan. The objective behind organizing the festival is to promote domestic as well as international tourism, said Ra ...[more]...

In another failure to institute a two-day weekend and cut down on festive holidays , the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) has unveiled public holidays for the upcoming year 2070 BS. Earlier, the government’s plan to allot a two-d ...[more]...

Pokhara: Tourism experts have expressed concern at the decreasing trend of tourist stay period in the Lake City. Transformation of Pokhara as a transit point rather than real destination has worried tourism experts. Experts gathered t ...[more]...

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and Yeti Airlines have extended their partnership. Yeti Airlines, which has been providing exclusive air travel service to IOM since 2008, has once more been selected to be the offici ...[more]...

Tourist arrivals shrunk 15.9 percent to 35,330 in January 2013. Arrivals from major source markets — China and India — dropped 40.3 percent and 26.1 percent, respectively. The number of tourists from Saarc countries decrea ...[more]...

Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) has requested the Department for International Development (DfID) to allow it to look after the overall management of the Great Himalaya Trail (GHT). GHT is one of the longest and h ...[more]...

Etihad Airways — the national flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates — has introduced special rates for its Coral economy class flight experience, presenting flyers with a great solution to their travel needs, the company said. ...[more]...

Due to the lack of coordination between Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and the private sector, promotional campaigns of the board have failed to gain momentum. “There is lack of coordination between us and the private sector due to w ...[more]...

The Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) has urged the government to reintroduce the benchmark fee for trekkers on popular routes like Everest and Annapurna in a bid to discourage illegal operators. The government has been losing revenue ...[more]...

Rising trade unionism backed by political parties has hurt the tourism sector, according to tourism entrepreneurs. “Repeated strikes by politically backed trade unions have hit the tourist inflow growth rate,” said ...[more]...

Qatar Airways has announced up to 30 percent discount on economy and business class fares to various destinations from Kathmandu. A press statement of the airlines on Monday stated that the offer is available from Kathmandu to destinations like Ho ...[more]...

Dharmodaya Sabha, an organisation of Buddhists, today objected to a tourism promotional material titled ‘The Path’ published by Uttar Pradesh Tourism Board. The Sabha objected to the promotional material for mentioning tha ...[more]...

In a bid to make trekking business more organized and ensure safety of trekkers, Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) is mulling over making trekking permits mandatory for all trekking trails across the country. A recent meet ...[more]...

Tourism entrepreneurs have said that there should be collaboration between tourism entrepreneurs and the press as the role of press for the promotion and development of tourism is important. They expressed the view at a programme orga ...[more]...

Pokhara: The government is preparing to offer land being used as tourist bus park in Pokhara to a private party on lease. Tourism entrepreneurs in the lake city has been using the land plot in Rastra Bank Chowk as tourist bus park for ...[more]...

The government has identified Dhangadi, Surkhet, Chitwan, and Itahari/ Biratnagar as potential places to establish handicraft villages. A meeting between representatives from the Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal (FHAN), ...[more]...

Major hotels have slashed their tariffs since December last year following slowed growth in tourist arrivals. The room rates of most five-star properties have dropped 10-15 percent while the rest are in a wait-and-watch mode. Accordin ...[more]...

Bhairahawa: A growth in tourism at the Buddha’s birthplace of Lumbini has sparked a flurry of domestic and foreign investments in the hospitality sector. Demand for hotel accommodation has been rising sharply in recent years in ...[more]...

Qatar Airways has achieved another milestone by becoming the first airline in the world to operate an aircraft with a new navigational approach into Nepal utilising the latest aircraft technology. The Doha-based airline implemented a ...[more]...

Despite rise in the number of rafters, rafting operators saw their revenue go down by around 25 percent in 2012. Rafting operators say the drop in the number of rafters from Europe and US, who prefer longer trips, affected their reven ...[more]...

The Trekking Agents Association of Nepal (TAAN), an umbrella organization of trekking entrepreneurs, has emphasized the need for diversifying the trekking routes to attract more tourists every year. The TAAN is for indentifying furthe ...[more]...

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has asked the National Planning Commission (NPC) to schedule a meeting to discuss expediting development of the proposed second international airport (SIA) in Nijgadh, Bara. ...[more]...

Yeti Airlines, a leading airline company, has announced discounts of up to 45 percent on airfares to different destinations in Karnali zone from Kathmandu and Nepalgunj. Saral Shamser Rana, deputy director of the airlines, said at a p ...[more]...

Tribhuvan International Airport ( TIA ) will likely get a new domestic terminal with improved and advanced facilities next year. Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Posta Bahadur Bogati on Friday laid the foundation stone for the Rs 1 ...[more]...

Chitwan: The revenue of Chitwan National Park more than doubled in the first half of the current fiscal year, despite drop in number of tourists at the exotic national park located in central Nepal. The revenue collection of the park ...[more]...

Foreign tourists planning to trek will soon be able to collect government permits to embark on the journey from the Internet. The online service will be introduced once the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) and Nepal Touri ...[more]...

To manage the swelling number of passengers, Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) is gradually moving ahead with its plan to manage the passenger crowd at the country’s only international airport. Among a series of management p ...[more]...

Civil Trade Center (CTC), a shopping mall promoted by the Civil Group, formally came into operation on Monday. To mark the occasion, CTC is organizing different events until Friday. Events include cultural programs, CTC Mega Fusion Musical Program ...[more]...

Star hotels are preparing to increase room tariff by up to US$20, as prolonged power cuts pushed up their operating cost. According to the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), majority of the hotel owners have agreed to push up room fare ...[more]...

Nepali and Indian travel agents are jointly launching a travel package to promote Lumbini and other Nepali religious sites, and increase the flow of foreign tourists to Nepal. The religious tourism package is being launched at the Nep ...[more]...

Chinese tourists are the newest wrinkle in the domestic tourism sector. Visitors from the northern neighbour are the second largest foreign travelers in the country in the last three years. Tourism Ministry’s preliminary statistics sh ...[more]...

Though figures for 2012 show an increase in the number of trekkers, trekking agents have claimed there still is a need to diversify trekking destinations. “There has been a growth in number of trekkers but trekking in our countr ...[more]...

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), along with five travel trade companies promoted Pashupatinath and Muktinath at the Travel and Trade Fair in Chennai, India, on January 4-6. Visited by more than 10,000 people, 1,000 travel trade companies a ...[more]...

Buddha Air started a daily flight to Surkhet from Thursday. The company will increase the number of flights to the new destination if demand picks up in the coming days, it said, adding that it is the only domestic airline company to fly to Surkhe ...[more]...

Worldwide renowned travel advisory website--the tripadvisor.com--has listed Nepali capital Kathmandu in its top 10 best places to visit in Asia. Headquartered in the USA, the travel website, which operates internationally, including t ...[more]...

Pokhara: Air traffic in Pokhara Airport fell by 5 percent in 2012 compared to a year ago. According to airport officials, only 26,730 flights operated from the airport located in the western Nepali city in 2012 as against 28,260 in 20 ...[more]...

"From January 11, Gulf Air — in the first phase — will reduce its flights to Kathmandu to five from the current 14 flights a week," according to operation director of President Travels — General Sales Agent of Gulf Air ...[more]...

DR. DIPAK DEVKOTA I love Kathmandu, and spitting in the streets didn’t mean I didn’t. It was a big ‘no no’ when it came to spitting in the streets in New Zealand. It was frowned upon and it was usually ...[more]...

A drop in number of Indian tourists and tepid response made by leisure travelers have pulled down room bookings in star hotels of the country. According to Kathmandu-based star hotels, average room occupancy in November, December and ...[more]...

Pokhara: Mustang is soon coming up with a tourism master plan with the objective of bringing in more tourists in this northwestern Nepali district. The master plan is being prepared by the Mustang District Development Committee, Nepal ...[more]...

Bhairahawa: Tourist arrivals through the Sunauli-Belihiya point, the gateway of Lumbini, have increased 8.4 percent to 144,668 in 2012, according to the statistics of the Immigration Office Bhairahawa. Sunauli-Belihiya—a major e ...[more]...

Government apathy in promotion and lack of inter-agency coordination have failed to attract one million tourists to Lumbini in 2012, as the year was observed as Visit Lumbini Year to promote Lord Buddha’s birth place internationally. ...[more]...

Pokhara: The number of foreign tourists visiting Pokhara via air in 2012 increased by 45 percent to 84,423 compared to arrival figures of 2011. According to Pokhara Airport, 58,173 foreign tourists had entered Pokhara by aerial route ...[more]...

Chopper operator Simrik Air has taken over the management of cash-strapped Guna Airlines.Guna Airlines, owned by Guna Group -- a business conglomerate that promote Guna Colony, Guna Cinema, Guna Cooperative, among others, was in a serious financia ...[more]...

Etihad Cargo — a division of Etihad Airways — organised the ‘Annual Customer Award Programme 2012’ on Monday. Managing director of Nepal Shipping and Air Logistics (GSSA Etihad Cargo for Nepal) Jagat B Khadka, highlighted o ...[more]...

Bhairahawa: The number of tourists visiting the birth place of Lord Buddha during the Lumbini Visit Year 2012 grew by almost one-third compared to 2011, but still the arrivals fell short of the target set by the government by over 24 percent. ...[more]...

London and New York City were named world's best travel spots based on opinions from the TripAdvisor community. TripAdvisor has honoured 440 outstanding destinations in 37 markets across the globe, including lists for Africa, Asia, Australia, the ...[more]...

Chitwan Festival and Central Industrial Trade Fair 2012 is being organized in Narayanghat of Chitwan from January 9-18 with an objective of promoting local products. The 10-day event will be held at the exhibition ground on the banks ...[more]...

Civil Mall is organizing live concert by various artist on Tuesday on the occasion of New Year 2012. According to a press statement issued by the company, famous artists like Nima Rumba, Adrian Pradhan, Anil Singh, Shubani Moktan and Nepsydaz will ...[more]...

The number of international air passengers to and from Nepal increased by 7.59 percent over the first ten months of 2012, recording more than two-fold growth over the global forecast (of air passengers) that International Civil Aviation Organizati ...[more]...

Star hotels in the capital have announced attractive packages for New Year´s Eve celebration, targeting local guests. Though the packages start from Rs 2,220, hoteliers are hopeful that they would get bigger crowd compared to la ...[more]...

Nepal can mobilise its mission in Tokyo to promote Lumbini — the birth place of Lord Buddha — and to also attract investment from Japanese investors, according to an envoy. Suggesting the Nepali embassy in Tokyo to be more ...[more]...

Chefs as culinary artistes can play a vital role in attracting tourists, according to experts. Speaking at an interaction organised by Chef’s Association of Nepal, minister for science and technology Dr Keshavman Shakya said tha ...[more]...

Chimadi: At a time when bird experts are concerned after birds began falling out from the sky in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, the increase in bird sightings at Barju Lake of Chimadi VDC of Sunsari can be taken as a good omen. The lak ...[more]...

The government plans to simplify visa procedures for Chinese tourists in a bid to increase arrivals from the northern neighbour. According to Tourism Ministry officials, a study team formed to recommend ways to ease visa procedures ha ...[more]...

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) are clueless regarding the round-the-clock operation of the country’s only international airport. Both CAAN and TIA have their own reasons be ...[more]...

Trekking entrepreneurs that so far relied heavily on long trek to reap the most during the peak business season, which ended in November, are now hoping to do better business in a lean period as well -- thanks to the newly developed short trek pac ...[more]...

Mustang, a region in northern Nepal, has found spot among the top three regions in Best in Travel 2013 by renowned travel guide book Lonely Planet. In its November issue, Lonely Planet had also featured Nepal as one of top ten Best Va ...[more]...

The growth in the number of domestic air passengers slowed to 1.57 percent in the first nine months (January-September) of 2012. Over the period, the number of domestic air travellers stood at 1.148 million. In the same period of 2010 ...[more]...

When roaring white water current flow beneath the clearest, brightest, blue sky; you know it's the time for some white river rafting, "As all major rivers get flooded during summer, autumn and spring become the ideal time to enjoy this exhila ...[more]...

K-town now boasts of a new multiplex. KL Cinema City on Thursday announced the opening of FCUBE Cinema —a premium multiplex at a newly-opened shopping complex—KL Tower at Chabahil, Kathmandu. KL Tower Chairman Kishan Lal S ...[more]...

Pokhara: Hotels in Pokhara are organizing special programs on New Year eve, eyeing both domestic as well as foreign tourists. “We are organizing a special entertainment program till midnight to entertain domestic as well as foreign vis ...[more]...

The Tourism Ministry plans to continue the temporary operating permit (TOP) scheme for international airlines connecting Kathmandu in 2013. A meeting between the ministry and representatives of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (C ...[more]...

The Macallan Restaurant and Cigar Lounge located on the third floor of Times Square Mall in Durbar Marg officially started its service starting Friday. The cigar lounge along with wine cabinets houses a selective collection of cigars ...[more]...

Janakpur: Bibaha Panchami festival, a religious festival among Hindu people, is celebrated across the country with zeal on Monday. Locals and pilgrims who arrived from different parts of the country and from India to Janakpur have bee ...[more]...

The board meeting of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) on Tuesday approved a budget of Rs 570 million. The meeting that took place after more than three months has approved the budget for marketing, publicity, product development and research ...[more]...

A two-day street festival kicked off in Thamel on Saturday. CNN Hero 2012 Pushpa Basnet inaugurated the festival organised by the Thamel Tourism Development Council. Organised with an aim to attract both domestic and foreign tourists ...[more]...

Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) will develop an alternate trekking route for Upper Manang trekkers. “We are trying to develop a trekking route that will be separate from the route that is being used for gene ...[more]...

The world´s highest mountain should not be hard to spot but American space agency NASA has admitted it mistook a summit in India for Mount Everest, which straddles the border of Nepal and China. The agency said on its website th ...[more]...

Pokhara: In view of the upcoming Christmas and New Year, tourism entrepreneurs in Lake City, Pokhara, have collectively introduced a new scheme under which all hotels and restaurants will offer discounts in their menu in order to lure more tourist ...[more]...

Civil Mall on Wednesday handed over prizes to the winners of its ´Civil Mall Dashain Tihar Malamal Festival´ which it organized on the occasion of Dashain and Tihar. Gurinder Singh, country manager of Tata Motors, handed o ...[more]...

The government has prepared a three-year tourism plan designed to stimulate economic growth, create jobs and boost private sector investment. The comprehensive strategy will be implemented from fiscal 2013-14 to 2015-16. ...[more]...

Qatar Airways launched its scheduled flights to Warsaw, Poland. The flight is its latest entry into Central Eastern Europe and 12th new route of the year. Despite the chilling weather, Qatar Airways’ Airbus A320, operating flight number QR 9 ...[more]...

Solukhumbu: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) -- airlines regulator -- has brought a flight terminal building into operation at Phaplu airport after three years of maintenance works. The terminal was damaged in a Maoist att ...[more]...

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has urged all airlines to apply safety standards seriously if aviation is to continue to deliver on its immense promise. Speaking at a programme to mark International Civil ...[more]...

Nepal Tourism Board’s (NTB) projected budget for this fiscal year has jumped 59 percent to Rs 616 million as a result of surging tourist arrivals. The country has been seeing a continued growth in the number of tourists for the last three ye ...[more]...

Destination Nepal has failed to achieve the desired result due to the failure of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) to select appropriate stakeholders while promoting the destination in the international market. “The participation of sta ...[more]...

Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) usually hits the headlines for management fiascos and habitual flight cancellations and delays. However, the state-owned carrier has been in the news recently for a more cheerful reason. The government has recently ...[more]...

Casino Nepal, the oldest casino of the country, is resuming operations from December 26 under new management. Sikkim-based Mahjong Entertainment has already signed an agreement with Soaltee Crowne Plaza for the operation of the casino ...[more]...

Tourist arrivals via air in the first 11 months of 2012 reached an all-time high of 553,430. According to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), arrivals during the period January-November was up 10.4 percent year on year. Arrivals from India ...[more]...

The upward trend in tourist arrivals by air continued in November after a slight dip in October. According to the latest figures released by the Nepal Tourism Board, arrivals in November rose 2.2 percent to 59,411. Arrivals had dropped 7.3 percent ...[more]...

The crowd was already going crazy. The collective voice for his name made a song in the air! There were cheers and screams in his name and it was getting tense by the minute. And finally the wait was over; he was in sight! The voice behind the sou ...[more]...

Pokhara: Around 30 percent of foreign tourists visiting Pokhara come to the lake city to enjoy paragliding, according to Nepal Air Sports Association. “Of around 300,000 tourists visiting Pokhara, more than 100,000 enjoy paragli ...[more]...

Namaste Nepalese Air (NNA) has received the go ahead from Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to operate flights on different domestic routes. CAAN awarded Air Operator´s Certificate (AOC) to the carrier after completing it ...[more]...

Debt-ridden Agni Air is in ‘serious talks’ with prospective buyers. Multiple sources said two airline companies—Yeti Airlines Domestic Pvt Ltd and Swift Air Nepal—are in the race to acquire the struggling domestic carrier. ...[more]...

Nepal received the best destination award at India International Travel Mart (IITM) in Maharashtra state of India last week. The India International Travel Mart — organised on November 23-25 — highlighted Nepal as the home ...[more]...

Lalitpur: The month-long Kathmandu International Arts Festival began here on Sunday. Exhibitions in different museums and art galleries of Kathmandu and Lalitpur and symposium are organised under the festival organised by the Siddhart ...[more]...

Trekking Agencies´ Association of Nepal (TAAN) is studying the prospects of adding honey hunting and canyoning in trekking packages in Lamjung, a statment of the assocaition said on Sunday. A delegation of TAAN participated in t ...[more]...

Bhairahawa top gateway for overland travellers Tourist arrivals via surface route have increased 8.82 percent to 162,549 in the first 10 months of 2012, according to government statistics. The country welcomed 656,568 tou ...[more]...

Soaltee Crowne Plaza Kathmandu has won the prestigious World Travel Awards (WTA) 2012 — also described as the ‘Oscars of the travel industry’ by the Wall Street Journal — for ‘Nepal’s Leading Hotel’. ...[more]...

Tourism entrepreneurs related to various sub-sectors of the hospitality industry have asked Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) to raise its currently budget for promoting Nepal in the international and domestic market by 60 per cent in the current fiscal y ...[more]...

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has finally decided to request the Supreme Court to find a way out to end the year-long selection process for a chief executive officer (CEO). “We have decided to approach the Supreme Court to g ...[more]...

In its bid to increase tourist arrivals from new market segment, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) on Sunday announced that it would focus its promotional campaigns on Scandinavian and CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) in 2013. Though ...[more]...

With airfares likely to increase through the new year, travelers are looking to get the biggest bang for their buck. Lonely Planet's "Best value destinations" for 2013, part of its "Best in Travel" annual series, m ...[more]...

Ilam: Hotels in Sandakpur of Ilam are brimming with domestic as well as foreign tourists. Not only Sandakpur, hotels in other neighboring areas like Chhintapu, Alahatar and Jaubari are also filled with visitors. Tourists started visit ...[more]...

Nepal witnessed a negative growth in monthly tourist arrivals for the first time since June 2009. Arrivals via air dropped 7.3 percent to 67,901 in October, the peak tourist season, according to the monthly tourist arrival figures released by the ...[more]...

Mustang among top 10 in Best in Travel 2013 Mustang in north central Nepal has been named one of the world’s top 10 regions in Best in Travel 2013, published by Lonely Planet, the largest travel guide book and digital media publ ...[more]...

DHUNCHE: The number of tourists visiting Rasuwa district for trekking around the Tamang Heritage Circuit has been growing day by day. Similarly, more and more tourists are coming to enjoy the hot spring bath at Tatopani and for sight- ...[more]...

Star hotels in the capital reported a nominal 5 percent growth in room occupancy in October - the peak tourist month, compared to October 2011. They, however, reported significant growth in revenue during the month. Hoteliers say the ...[more]...

Banepa: Resorts and lodges in Dhulikhel in regular days are generally preferred for hosting domestic and regional seminars and meetings. But this Dashain, they became a favorite destination for Chinese tourists. Resorts operators said ...[more]...

Pokhara:Another flying season is here and hoards of paragliders have crowded the airspace of the lake city. Sarangkot, Pame and Khapaudi in Pokhara see over 300 flyers daily. Considered one of the top five paragliding destinations in ...[more]...

Chitwan: Though hoteliers in Sauraha are upbeat amid an impressive rise in overall tourist arrivals, a decline in the flow of domestic tourists, who account for the most number of customers for elephant safari, has pushed down business for elephan ...[more]...

Domestic airlines have reported around 30 to35 percent more business during Dashain festival, which coincided with the onset of the main tourist season in the country, compared to normal times. The operators, who were not so hopeful o ...[more]...

Pokhara: Seven travel agencies have added more than a dozen tourist buses on Kathmandu-Pokhara route to cater to the rising number of domestic as well as foreign tourists visiting the lake city. Bluesky, Sahara, Loyal, Rainbow Safari ...[more]...

Two Nepali investors have purchased Summit Hotel from Foundation Nepal Holland House (FNHH). The Dutch group had been running the three-star hotel since 1978. According to Beed Management, which was hired as an advisor to the seller, ...[more]...

BISHNU PRASAD DEVKOTA The Government of Nepal is celebrating Visit Lumbini Year (VLY) 2012 to promote the Buddha’s birthplace, and I’m just curious to know how many Nepalis may have visited Lumbini. The othe ...[more]...

Lumbini: Hotels in Lumbini -- the birthplace of Gautam Buddha -- that so far concentrated on foreign tourists for their business have lately shifted their focus and taken initiatives to lure and cater to the needs of the domestic tourists. ...[more]...

Lekhnath: The trend of visiting different places during the festive season has been increasing. Pokhara and its adjoining areas are among other several tourist destinations where domestic tourists are coming in their hordes. The pl ...[more]...

Hindu people across the nation have been observing Ghatasthapana , the first day of Dashain festival on Tuesday by sowing seeds of Jamara (sacred plants) at home and temples. Dashain , the greatest festival of Hindu’s, is dedica ...[more]...

Lumbini: The total number of tourists visiting Lumbini has increased by just 20 percent during the last nine months compared to the number recorded during the same period last year despite the government´s commitment to double the number of ...[more]...

Trekking workers will now receive the revised trekking charges effective from January 1, 2013. “We have resolved the conflict between unions, and on mutual understanding, we agreed to give increased wages to trekking workers fro ...[more]...

Qatar Airways, which is one of the world’s fastest growing and most highly rated airlines, has joined oneworld, the world’s leading quality airline alliance. Its election as a oneworld member designate was announced in New ...[more]...

The 5th Dashain Bazaar 2012 kicked off at Direction Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC), Tripureshwar on Wednesday. The five-day fair is being organized by DECC to make Dashain shopping easier for people. Chitra Paudel, coor ...[more]...

With Dashain at our doorsteps, malls and shopping complexes around the valley have announced special schemes to attract customers who go on a shopping spree during the festival. Leading malls and shopping complexes like Civil Mall, Pe ...[more]...

Trekking Agencies´ Association of Nepal (TAAN) and three trade unions of tourism workers have agreed to raise daily wage of trekking staff by Rs 200 effective from January, 2013. The two sides signed an agreement to this effect ...[more]...

Turkish Airlines is most likely to start direct flights on Kathmandu-Istanbul route by the end of this year. “After a long lobbying, the direct flights between Istanbul and Kathmandu is going to start by the end of 2012 or the e ...[more]...

Though it has been almost a year, members of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) are still clueless regarding its chief executive officer (CEO). The chief executive’s post has remained vacant for about one year after the retirement of Pra ...[more]...

The Nepal-China Friendship Society, Lumbini has stressed on the need to attract Buddhists from China to visit Nepal and especially Lumbini in order to make the Lumbini Visit Year 2012 successful. The Society has suggested facilitating ...[more]...

International airlines serving in Nepal saw an 11.63 percent rise in passenger movement in the first six months (January-June) of 2012 compared to the same period last year. The rise has been attributed to the increment in the number of Nepalis de ...[more]...

The Kathmandu Post Happy Deals Trade Fair 2012 kicked off on Thursday at Exhibition Hall, Bhrikuti Mandap. The expo features more than 50 stalls offering a variety of items ranging from ICT products, automobiles, fashion wear and garments to handi ...[more]...

Kaski:  Pokhara, of late, is witnessing an increased investment in the tourism sector. Among the latest big projects is a luxury three-star hotel—Atithi Resort and Spa. Four siblings—Ram, Laxman, Bharat and Shatrughan ...[more]...

Chitwan:Sauraha-based tourism entrepreneurs on Thursday opened a new jungle trail for tourists on the occasion of 33th World Tourism Day. The new jungle trail connects Sauraha with Marchauni Khola through Purano Padampur alongside the ...[more]...

Lalitpur: Need of a clear policy for development of rural tourism has been stressed. The need was pointed out at the three-day national conference on development of rural tourism here on Wednesday. It is essential to generate employme ...[more]...

With the objective to promote ´War Tourism´, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) along with local organizations have jointly unveiled the "Guerrilla Trek". UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Puspa ...[more]...

Domestic airlines are expecting a normal business during the festive season as they have not received impressive booking so far. Following normal enquiry, the operators have not unveiled their plans to add the flight frequency which was a normal t ...[more]...

India and China sent the highest number of tourists to Nepal via air in the first nine months of 2012. Indian and Chinese visitors accounted for 41.2 percent of total arrivals over the period (January-September). Arrivals from the sou ...[more]...

Three trade unions of trekking workers padlocked Kathmandu-based head office and Pokhara-based regional office of Trekking Agencies´ Association of Nepal (TAAN) on Monday, citing delay in implementation of an agreement that among others incl ...[more]...

With the objective to contribute towards sustainable tourism, hoteliers have expressed commitment to adopt more eco-friendly measures in their operation. In a recent program organized by Hotel Association Nepal (HAN), the hoteliers stated that the ...[more]...

Chitwan: Most of the hotels in Sauraha, which are busy accommodating the rising number of tourists, have reported that they have received impressive booking for this season up to December. “We have been witnessing rising crowds ...[more]...

With the theme of ´Tourism and Sustainable Energy Powering Sustainable Development´, tourism entrepreneurs on Thursday celebrated the 33rd World Tourism Day (WTD) organizing various functions across the country. They also unveiled spec ...[more]...

Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation will not provide discounts in tax and royalty to tourism businesses. Addressing the 33rd World Tourism Day, minister for culture, tourism and civil aviation Posta Bahadur Bogati said tha ...[more]...

KAKADBHITTA: A woman of Char Ali in Jhapa has opened a travel agency with an objective of promoting tourism of the eastern development region. Uma Shrestha of Char Ali Bazaar has opened the travel agency Yujal Green World Travel and T ...[more]...

Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) is preparing to operate trekking at Humla. TAAN had identified five new destinations — Taplejung, Gorkha, Solukhumbu, Dolpa and Humla. The association has already started trek ...[more]...

The 33rd World Tourism Day is being celebrated worldwide today with the theme ‘Tourism and Sustainable Energy: Powering Sustainable Development’ set by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. The day is celebrated e ...[more]...

MYAGDI: Tourism entrepreneurs of Ghodepani in Myagdi district have geared up for the maintenance of old trekking routes and construction of new ones in different parts of the villages. Most of the trekking routes available in the vill ...[more]...

National Transport Entrepreneurs Federation of Nepal (NTEFN) -- the umbrella organization of transporters -- has opened advance booking for passangers travelling to different destinations to celebrate the Dashain festival. One can boo ...[more]...

With bungee jumping, paragliding and zip-line, local tourism has flourished greatly over the last few years. Apart from adventure sports, village home stay programs have also helped in elevating local tourism. Traveling within Nepal now is far mor ...[more]...

Civil Mall has launched ´Dashain Tihar Malamal Festival´ offer in which customers can get various gift hampers through a lucky draw. According to Nishant Shrestha, head of marketing and communication at Civil Mall, customer buying good ...[more]...

Airlines and travel agencies have decided to defy the ´airport shut down´ strike by locals and resume regular flights and other services in Pokhara from Wednesday. Though the operators and travel trade entrepreneurs in the ...[more]...

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has opened 16 different temples situated on the Hanumandhoka Durbar premises to the general public and visitors. These temples were not opened for the public prior this. The temples opened for vie ...[more]...

To usher in the festive season, Partynepal—one of the oldest and most renowned event management houses in the country—is pulling out all the stops. A mega event has been planned for the end of the month, to get partygoers and families ...[more]...

A total of 3,005 climbers came to Nepal this spring.Among them, some 2,225 mountaineers climbed peaks recommended by Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), and 780 climbed expedition peaks that are under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil ...[more]...

AceTravels.com marked its third anniversary on Friday, inaugurating 12 new branches across the country. This is first time that a Nepali travel agency has opened a dozen branches in a day. The new branches have been opened in Biratnag ...[more]...

Kathmandu’s five-star hotels have completed major refurbishment projects in time for the peak tourist season which got underway recently. Guests can look forward to new look rooms and added amenities. Some of the hotels have renovated their ...[more]...

The China Hunan International Festival organised in Hunan, a major city of China, concluded on Thursday. The festival was organised with the objective of promoting Nepal-China relations at the people's level. Ten countries including N ...[more]...

The first board meeting of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) after the reinstatement of its board members has decided to use 25 per cent of the budget of 2011-12. “NTB had a budget of Rs 380 million in the last fiscal year, and the boar ...[more]...

Hoteliers on Wednesday announced a discount of up to 50 percent on accommodation and food for foreign tourists for a week from September 23 to mark the 33rd World Tourism Day. Tourism entrepreneurs also announced free dinner and free ...[more]...

Domestic air passenger movement grew 5.35 percent to 801,769 in the first six months of 2012 compared to the same period last year. Aircraft movement, however, dropped 9.42 percent during the same period. Aviation watchers have attrib ...[more]...

Kathmandu: As the biggest festival Dashain approaches closer, travel agencies have unveiled attractive overseas tour packages targeting the Nepalis who prefer to move out to the foreign destinations during the holidays. Under the new ...[more]...

Targeting the Dashain festival when people indulge in a major shopping spree, traders have started to launch attractive schemes. Offers have been introduced on almost all major consumer items—from garment and electronics to automobiles. ...[more]...

The Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) has completed preparations for the Teej festival, which is on Tuesday. “We have completed all preparations for the festival,” said Shila Pant, coordinator of the main organising ...[more]...

After 10 shows spread out over a month, the Golden Moments grand finale is taking place on September 13, 2012. The series of Golden Moments was especially dedicated to The Beatles and was strategically planned to coincide with the bir ...[more]...

Bahrain Air, which suspended its flights to Kathmandu on June 11, is resuming operations to the Nepali capital from Friday. According to a senior airline official, the flight will resume operations with two flights a week. “We d ...[more]...

The Golden Moments, which kicked off on August 15, 2012, is heading towards its grand finale this week with Gary Gibson and Richard Neale all set to rock Kathmandu with their world class impersonation of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. ...[more]...

While the mismanagement and labor issue continues to disturb the casino business, it has also hit the business of the star hotels. The statistics provided by the hoteliers suggest that they have observed the business down by up to 35 ...[more]...

Nepali startup BB Airways on Saturday announced its scheduled flights to Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong from October 11 with its Boeing 757-200 aircraft. The carrier also announced charter flights to Seam Reap, Cambodia and Narita, Tokyo. ...[more]...

Domestic airlines operators have opened booking for Dashain, more than a month ahead of the start of the biggest festival. Increasing competition amongst operators and computerized booking system has encouraged operators for advance sales. ...[more]...

The declining number of Indian and Chinese tourists has worried tourism entrepreneurs expressing fears that the trend was likely to continue in coming months as well. Tourist arrivals from India and China, which was observing sustaine ...[more]...

Pokhara: Pokhara based hoteliers have increased room tariff by as much as 25 percent. Hoteliers said the booking for the peak season was received with the increased tariff ranging from 15 to 25 percent compared to same period of last year. ...[more]...

The Airlines Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) has decided to increase fuel surcharge on all domestic flights from September 5 following the hike in aviation fuel price on Sunday. The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) hiked the aviation ...[more]...

Nepal-Malaysia Travel Mart 2012, organised by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and Tourism Malaysia, opened here on Sunday with the objective of providing a marketing opportunity for tour operators of the two countries. According to the ...[more]...

Nepal witnessed a meager 2.5 percent growth in tourist arrivals in August, thanks to a negative growth in visits from India and China — the major source markets. Decline in arrivals from the long-haul markets — Germany, Switzerland, Sp ...[more]...

Malaysia Airlines has commenced direct flights to Kathmandu from Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. The national flag carrier of Malaysia will operate three times a week on Kuala Lumpur-Kathmandu-Kuala Lumpur route. The airlines is using a two ...[more]...

Trekking Agencies´ Association of Nepal (TAAN) has awarded top five trekking agencies in the country amid a program in the capital. The association awarded Royal High Mountain Treks as the top agent for the fiscal year 2011/12 i ...[more]...

International airlines flying from Kathmandu have started competing for passengers going for Hajj to Mecca. Qatar Airways, which operates four flights from Kathmandu to Doha, and two flights a day from Doha to Jeddah is offering a spe ...[more]...

Nepal’s rugged terrain and natural beauty should make it a popular destination for adventure sports enthusiasts. Thousands travel the world over in search of adrenaline rushes from falling off of cliffs or jumping out of planes. Despite Nepa ...[more]...

Chitwan:Sauraha based hoteliers are overwhelmed with the hotel booking for the upcoming peak season. Hoteliers said although the peak season was beginning from October, rooms in most of the hotels were already booked. Chitwan is consi ...[more]...

Various apparel outlets in the capital have announced stock clearance sales, offering discounts of up to 50 percent, as they prepare to bring in new products targeting Dashain festival as well as winter season. Central Retail - the au ...[more]...

Golden Moments 2012 is back with a big bang to rock the city. One of the most awaited music series, Golden Moments – Tribute to Rock, started from August 15, 2012. As a part of the event, Dinesh and The Usual Suspects have perfo ...[more]...

Mega Bank Photo Exhibition 2068 is being organized by the Photo Journalist Club and Janchetanaka Lagi Sanchar Manch Nepal Pokhara. The exhibition will display 25 selected photos each from four categories such as News, Daily Life, Tour ...[more]...

International airlines serving Nepal are seeing a surge in inbound bookings. Almost every flight into Kathmandu is 90 percent booked for October and November while 75 percent of the seats have been booked for September, said travel agents. ...[more]...

The government is planning for a compulsory guide or porter system for individual trekkers in the Langtang region only. Trekking agencies have requested the government for a compulsory guide or porter for individual trekkers in all th ...[more]...

Tourism ministry that had vehemently been pushing for allowing affluent Nepalis in casinos has retracted from its stance and has instead proposed barring entry to Nepalis, according to a draft of Casino bylaw that the Ministry of Culture, Tourism ...[more]...

As the peak season for tourism nears, most of the hotels in Pokhara have received 100 percent booking. The hoteliers said they were having tough time managing rooms for October and November as the booking in many days of these months had hit 100 p ...[more]...

Hotel Association Nepal has urged the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation to implement the suggestions of the high level committee. The high level committee — formed by prime minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai to study th ...[more]...

London: Nepali community residing in London on Sunday participated in a business expo to promote Visit Lumbini Year (VLY) 2012. Nepal is participating in the event since 2010. Most of the Asian countries have set up their stalls in the expo. ...[more]...

The government has decided to put its decision to ban independent trekking on hold until further notice. It had earlier decided to make support staff mandatory for independent trekkers, citing trekkers´ safety. Issuing a notice, ...[more]...

Muslims across the country on Monday are celebrating Eid al –Fitr with much gusto and fanfare. The day marks the end of Ramadan, the holy festival of the Muslim community. The Muslims observing this festival stay on fast for sel ...[more]...

Tourism entrepreneurs have urged the government to develop a flexible policy for the licence renewal of registered travel and trekking agencies. According to the travel and trekking agencies, the licence renewal process for travel and trekking age ...[more]...

With the peak tourism season round the corner, hoteliers are gearing up for renovation and upgradation. Besides, regular renovation, hoteliers are also preparing to add power supply alternatives and other amenities. Peak tourism seaso ...[more]...

Most of the five-star hotels in Kathmandu have been planning to hike their tariffs by up to 20 percent with the peak tourist season starting from September. Some of them have already upped the rates encouraged by increased bookings. H ...[more]...

Father’s Day is being marked all over the country on Friday to celebrate the love and the bond between fathers and their children. The major market places in the Valley have been inundated since morning with people shopping for ...[more]...

Trekkers from South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries can now trek at a revised trekking charge that is about 72 per cent lower than current trekking charge. Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) along with Trekking Age ...[more]...

Women´s Creation - a community based non-profit organization working for the empowerment of women - is organizing ´11th Dabur Special Jasmine Teej Festival 2012´ from August 23-16 at Direction Exhibition and Convention Center (DE ...[more]...

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) is planning to identify Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) as an emerging tourism market for Nepal. “We are planning to propose BRICS as a promising tourism market at the NTB board me ...[more]...

Soaltee Crowne Plaza has won the Today´s Traveller Award 2012 for Best International Business Hotel in Nepal, a statement of the hotel said. The hotel had received the award for best business hotel in the year 2008 as well. &nbs ...[more]...

With the objective of attracting foreign investment in tourism sector, Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) is organizing a promotional program in Sri Lanka. The program is also targeted at attracting Sri Lankan tourists to visit Nepal. & ...[more]...

Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) is all set to promote existing trails and other adventure tourism activities in the Dolpo region. A team led by TAAN President Mahindra Singh Thapa after completing a 28-day exploration in ...[more]...

Seven more paragliding companies in Pokhara have been given operating licenses in the last one year as a testimony to the fast rising popularity of the adventure sport. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), there ...[more]...

Pokhara: Tourism industry in Pokhara attracted fresh investment of more than Rs 300 million over the past year. The new investments came mainly on hotel, travel and trekking sub-sectors, according to Pokhara Tourism Office. According ...[more]...

Dragonair — the sister airline of Cathay Pacific — will increase its flight frequency between Kathmandu and Hong Kong from September 1, with a daily flight. “With a daily flight we will again offer better convenience ...[more]...

Despite growing interest of tourists toward home stay, tour operators are not being able to sell home stay packages in the lack of effective promotion. Though many villages across the country provide home stay service, tour operators ...[more]...

Nepalese Young Entrepreneurs Forum (NYEF) -- a representative body of young Nepali entrepreneurs -- is organizing the fourth edition of Made in Nepal Products and Service Exhibition 2012 in the capital in the first week of September. ...[more]...

Chautara: Amid concerns about the world’s popular white-water rafting being threatened by the planned 102MW Middle Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project (MBHP) in Sindhupalchowk, the project on Thursday unveiled plans to expedite inclusive tourism p ...[more]...

Gantabya Nepal -- a tourism fortnightly magazine -- has felicitated Subash Nirola, officiating CEO of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), with Tourism Man of the Year for 2012 award for his contribution in tourism promotion. Ministry for Cultu ...[more]...

Lingering political instability in the country is likely to hit occupancy of hotels in the coming season. According to hoteliers, booking enquiries have slowed down by more than 50 percent because the election date coincides with the ...[more]...

People all across the country on Tuesday celebrated the Hindu festival of Nag Panchami worshipping the serpent god and goddess. Devotees thronged religious places like Nag Daha, Tau Daha, Pashupatinath and Nag Pokhari in the Capital t ...[more]...

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has informed travel agents that they will have to pay the airlines for the tickets they sell on a weekly basis instead of fortnightly as has been the practice. IATA has planned to imp ...[more]...

The festival of Nag Panchami celebrated every year on the fifth day of the waxing moon in the month of Saun according to the lunar calendar is being observed on Tuesday by pasting the pictures of Nag or the serpent deity above the main gate of hou ...[more]...

With the increase in international air passenger traffic, the business of airline companies operating in Nepal recorded an all time high growth last year with the total business volume touching Rs 12 billion, a 20 percent rise. Accord ...[more]...

The Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) said that it was considering making it compulsory for solo trekkers to take a guide to ensure their safety from Sept 1. TAAN said that the government had banned free independent travel ...[more]...

Nepal received the highest number of tourists from India and China, but their length of stay is the lowest among all the source markets. According to the Tourism Ministry, visitors from the two neighbouring countries spent 7.99 and 10.14 days resp ...[more]...

Pokhara:Fulbari Resort has unveiled attractive summer package targeting Nepali and Indian tourists. The hotel launched the package that starts from Rs 15,999 to attract tourists during this lean period. At present, The 165-room hotel ...[more]...

There are lots of places to go and see in Kathmandu but sometimes why not go beyond the gates of Kathmandu. This is my experience when I did so not long ago. Recently, I visited a beautiful place just 45 minutes drive from Kathmandu, on a bright S ...[more]...

Qatar Airways has been awarded ´World´s Best Airline´ for the second running year at the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards, a statement of the airlines said on Monday. Along with the title of the top airline, the D ...[more]...

Total tourist arrivals increased to 22.1 percent during fiscal year 2011-12. Along with international promotional programmes and national tourism campaign, Nepal Tourism Year (NTY) 2011, Nepal successfully re-established itself as a t ...[more]...

The average length of tourist stay in Nepal has almost doubled over the past decade and jumped to 13.12 days in 2011/12. The industry earned foreign currency worth Rs 24.61 billion over the first eight months of the fiscal year, says ...[more]...

Lucknow: Tourism entrepreneurs from Pokhara are setting their sights on tourists from bordering Indian cities to boost their business. The Paschimanchal Hotel Association Pokhara (PHAP) in association of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) recently carried ...[more]...

After gathering huge crowds at its first meet last year, Kathmandu Literary Jatra (KLJ) is back with its second edition. Scheduled to be organized from November 29 to December 2 in and around Patan Museum, the fest this year promises to be ...[more]...

The government has utterly neglected the culture heritage, the identity of the nation, by allocating meagre budget compared to other sectors. While on the one hand, the culture and identity of the nation have been confined to a nar ...[more]...

With the increasing popularity of travel culture among Nepalis, the numbers of them going abroad on vacation rose by 10 percent and touched 32,063 in 2011, according to the latest outbound travel data that the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civi ...[more]...

Chitwan: Tourism entrepreneurs in Chitwan have a lot on their plate with increased park entrance fees, a fast-approaching rental deadline and political activists creating havoc. For the past two weeks, they have been engaged in intens ...[more]...

Bowing to pressure from tourism entrepreneurs, the government is preparing to extend the lease term of resorts operating in Chitwan National Park (CNP). The Ministry of Culture Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) is forwarding the pro ...[more]...

Hoteliers in the country should start marketing alternative packages for July as it is a lean season for them, according to a survey. The occupancy rates of five-star and three-star hotels dropped to the lowest in July last year, acco ...[more]...

Air Asia — a budget airline based in Malaysia — started its scheduled flights on the Kathmandu–Kuala Lumpur route today. “The airlines will operate two flights a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” said exec ...[more]...

Pokhara: In a bid to attract more Indian tourists, Pashchimanchal Hotel Association Pokhara (PHAP) has launched “Chaliye Pokhara” - a promotional campaign. As part of the campaign, tourism entrepreneurs of Pokhara will vis ...[more]...

Tourist arrivals via air to Nepal in the first half of 2012 have increased 19.8 percent to 294,019 as against the same period last year. According to the figures released by the Immigration Office, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA ...[more]...

Three-star hotels had the highest occupancy rate among star hotels in Nepal 2011. According to the Tour-ism Ministry, the occupancy rate of three-star hotels in Kathmandu stood at 64.4 percent compared to 61.63 percent for five-star h ...[more]...

Despite sustaining growth in the number of tourist arrivals, tourism entrepreneurs said their overall earnings in the first half of 2012 remained less than the same period last year, as tourists stayed shorter and did not spend much in activities ...[more]...

Bangkok: Nepali travellers to Thailand outnumber Thai travellers to Nepal four to one. According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), 25,728 Nepali travellers journeyed to the “Land of the White Elephant” in 2011. I ...[more]...

Tourism entrepreneurs have criticized the government for raising entry and other fees at national parks and wildlife reserves citing such increments directly hamper tourism-related businesses. They have also warned of launching protests if the gov ...[more]...

A chopper possessed by Mountain Air was forced to make an emergency landing on a playground in Bijuwar of Pyuthan district at 8: 30 am on Sunday morning after running into bad weather. Mountain Air 9N AJP Chopper, with three ailing pe ...[more]...

UMES SHRESTHA Many believe that the history of Rock music in Nepal can be traced back to the 1960s when the Hippies started making Nepal their ultimate destination. A few murky details about some Nepali bands and the music scene back then ar ...[more]...

Tourism entrepreneurs and experts on Monday expressed concerns over growing degradation condition of World Heritage sites in the country and warned that it might hamper tourism business. Speaking at a program organized in the capital ...[more]...

The number of star and tourist-standard hotels in Kathmandu has increased by around 46 percent over the last five years. Encouraged by a rise in the number of tourists, especially after the 2008 announcement of the Nepal Tourism Year ...[more]...

With the objective to promote tourism in Nepal round the year, trekking agencies are introducing new trekking routes for monsoon. Entrepreneurs are jointly promoting short treks during this period which they hope will help the industry to survive ...[more]...

The Rato Machhindranath Jatra concluded with the display of Bhoto — a jewel-studded vest — to throngs of devotees and revellers in Jawalakhel, Lalitur, today. Rato Machhindranath is worshiped as the god of rain and harvest ...[more]...

ChocoBerry — the first and only self-serve frozen yogurt outlet in Nepal — has opened its first store in Civil Mall. At ChocoBerry, customers can choose from a wide variety of frozen yogurt such as chocolate, vanilla, blue ...[more]...

The continuous devaluation of the Nepali rupee against the US dollar has brought some cheers for the travel trade sector. Strong dollar has not only increased tourism earning, but has also made Nepal a cheaper destination for foreign ...[more]...

Despite the sustained growth in number of tourist arrivals, tourism entrepreneurs experienced 20 percent loss in revenue in first half of 2012. The statistics of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) shows that there was a growth of 20 percent in ...[more]...

The third edition of ´Made in Pakistan Products Exhibition 2012´ kicked off at the Direction Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) on Wednesday. The expo is being organized by Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industrie ...[more]...

The High Level Committee formed to study recognition to be given to tourism industry as national priority industry has recommended to the government to provide special facilities to the tourism industry. The Committee coordinated by L ...[more]...

International airlines connecting Nepal have hiked airfares prompted by mounting fuel costs and strong demand. According to travel agents, foreign carriers serving the Middle East, Malaysia and Indian cities have jacked up ticket prices due to inc ...[more]...

Nepal is one of the cheapest traditional holiday destinations in South Asia, said MyTravelCost.com basing its assessment on World Bank data. The website has compared travel costs across South Asia based on six major factors of tourist ...[more]...

Domestic airlines have recoreded a growth of 15.04 percent in passengers number in the first quarter of 2012 as against the same period last year. Eleven airlines companies (fixed wings and rotor wings) flew a total of 396,086 passeng ...[more]...

International air passenger movement through Nepal rose 13.35 percent in the first three months of 2012 with higher migrant worker traffic and tourist arrivals. According to Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), inbound and outbound ...[more]...

The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) is looking to use the Indian cricket star Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s visit to Kathmandu as a platform to promote Nepal in the cricketing world and possibly boost bilateral ties with the Board of Cricket Con ...[more]...

Tourism Industry Division has formed a task force to investigate illegal tourism businesses operating in the valley. “The task force formed under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation will start investigating all k ...[more]...

The Nepalese hotel industry has urged the government to incorporate the various facilities and incentives in its budget for the next fiscal year and implement them immediately in line with the government’s recent decision. The g ...[more]...

Pokhara: Trekking agencies in Pokhara, who lost business due to bandas and strikes in the last week of May, have something to cheer about. Number of Nepalis taking the service of trekking agencies has doubled this season. Agencies sai ...[more]...

Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal (FHAN) will organise the 10th Handicraft Trade Fair on November 22-26 in co-operation with NTIS programme, Ministry of Commerce and Supplies, and Nepal Trade and Export Promotion Center. ...[more]...

When it commenced services one and half years ago, Civil Mall was just one of those shopping complexes that came into being during the era of realty boom. It boasted of movie theaters and other special outlets, but struggled to lure shoppers. ...[more]...

Political upheavals have hit tourist arrivals in May which recorded the lowest growth rate in 2012. According to the Nepal Tourism Board’s (NTB) latest statistics, arrivals increased 9.3 percent compared to the same month last year. ...[more]...

The average length of stay of tourists in Nepal increased to a seven-year high of 13.1 days in 2011. Travel trade analysts have attributed this growth to a decline in strikes and increased tourist arrivals for trekking and mountaineering. ...[more]...

Three new paragliding companies are coming into operation as the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has lifted the restriction on issuance of new operating license. Upon request from tourism entrepreneurs, the government had tem ...[more]...

The rise in the number of people wanting to break past records or create new ones at Mt Everest rather than just for climbing the peak has increased the risk at the highest peak of the world. With the increasing crowd, who want to sum ...[more]...

To celebrate summer and the rainy season with the arrival of the king of fruits, mango, Soaltee Crown Plaza of Kathmandu is showcasing various exotic and fresh mango delights. Your mango savors are sure to be fulfilled with never-endi ...[more]...

Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) has unveiled two new trekking trails along with route map and DVD marking 5th International Sagarmatha Day amidst a special ceremony at Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) on Tuesday. Minister of Cu ...[more]...

The 10th edition of Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon is all set to kick off Tuesday morning to commemorate the first successful ascent of Mt Everest by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953. Over 160 national an ...[more]...

Tourism entrepreneurs who were promoting Nepal as safe and politically stable country to visit after May 27, are left disappointed and are in dilemma on how to convince potential arrivals following the failure to draft a new constitution. B ...[more]...

The government will unveil new trekking routes on the occasion of the fifth International Everest (Sagarmatha) Day on May 29. On the occasion of the fifth International Everest Day, the government along with the private sector will al ...[more]...

International arrivals in Asia/Pacific destinations grew by a collective seven per cent year-on-year during the first two months of 2012, according to preliminary data released by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) today. Acco ...[more]...

Domestic airlines have reported a boom summer as travellers have been forced to fly due to the ongoing strikes that have shut down overland transport. Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) handled 170 domestic flights on Tuesday, and all of them w ...[more]...

Companies waiting to get license for international flight operations will have to wait a bit longer as the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) has decided to issue a public notice, inviting applications from firms interested to operate ...[more]...

Pokhara: Passengers are facing shortage of air tickets on Pokhara-Kathmandu sector, as demand increased suddenly after tourists in the lake city started cutting their trips short due to indefinite strikes. Airline operators say demand ...[more]...

Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) has forwarded a proposal to the Tourism Industry Division to work together to build a proper mechanism for the hotel sector. “We have forwarded a proposal to the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviati ...[more]...

Frequent bandhs has resulted in an unexpected cancellation of bookings for adventure tourism. The adventure tourism industry in the country has recently witnessed about 40 per cent booking cancellations. “Adventure tourism durin ...[more]...

Nepalgunj: Travellers in west Nepal are taking to the air as overland transport has been shut down by bandas. And with agitators closing down Geta Airport in Dhangadhi, potential air travellers have converged on Nepalgunj. The western ...[more]...

Tour operators selling packages of Kailash-Mansarovar and trekking packages of that region say as much as 50 percent bookings have been cancelled after the Chinese government imposed new provision for issuing permits to Tibet without prior notice. ...[more]...

With prospect of more strikes and political instability in the run up to the May 28 deadline for the country to promulgate the new constitution, travel industry entrepreneurs says nervous visitors have begun cancelling their bookings and those ...[more]...

Pokahra: Tourism entrepreneurs of Pokhara and Lumbini have joined hands to jointly promote both tourist destinations. They have also expressed commitment to identify new destinations and make efforts to introduce direct flight connectivity and int ...[more]...

Nepali mountain guide and pioneering adventurer Dawa Steven Sherpa (28) has received the first ever WWF International President’s Award for his contribution to conservation of the mountains. Sherpa got the award during a special ...[more]...

The cabinet has finally approved high level committee’s report regarding development of tourism sector as a national priority industry. “The cabinet recently approved the report submitted by the high level committee for de ...[more]...

Bhaktapur: As many as 225,000 foreign tourists visited various heritages in Bhaktapur municipality. The heritages drew total 88,948 tourists from SAARC countries and 126,741 from other countries during 2068 BS (Mid-April, 2011 to Mid- ...[more]...

Pokhara: Tourism entrepreneurs have started operating tourist buses services twice a day one Pokhara-Kathmandu-Pokhara route from Monday. So far, they were operating the services only once in the morning. Under the new arrangement, to ...[more]...

The 2,556th birth anniversary of Gautam Buddha was marked today with various programmes across the country. The Buddhist community offered special prayers to commemorate the birth, enlightenment and death of lord Buddha. Special progr ...[more]...

Radiating confidence, poise and presence of mind, lovely Shristi Shrestha began her reign as the brand new Pashupati Paints The Hidden Treasure Miss Nepal 2012 in the plush settings of Annapurna Hotel in the capital on Sunday evening. ...[more]...

Despite slow increment in booking for May-June period, hoteliers are optimistic of the better season ahead as the average room rates has increased by up to 20 percent. According to officials of Kathmandu-based star hotels, overall bus ...[more]...

The 2,556th Buddha Jayanti is being celebrated today to commemorate the birthday, enlightenment and passing away of Gautam Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Buddha was born, enlightened, and died on the full moon day in the month of Ba ...[more]...

Tourist arrivals to Nepal via air in the month of April increased by 14.3 percent compared to arrival figures of the same period last year. According to figures released by Immigration Office at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), ...[more]...

Pokhara, the most popular tourist destination of the country, is set to get 30 new hotels in a year, as entrepreneurs are readily investing more money in the hospitality industry to cater to the growing inflow of domestic as well as foreign touris ...[more]...

The third Nepal Investment Bank Limited (NIBL) Heritage Marathon will he held on Saturday in an effort to create awareness about the need to conserve the country’s historical monuments. The bank, actively supporting such activit ...[more]...

The balmy evening of April 27 saw a true fusion of eastern and western art and culture at the Heritage Night at Le Sherpa. The parking lot of the French restaurant was alit with huge LED screen and revolving spotlights as Kutumba perf ...[more]...

Civil Mall inaugurated its indoor miniature golf course amid a program on Friday. Putt Putt Mini Golf situated at the ground floor of the Sundhara-based mall will open to public from Saturday. The mini golf is targeted at professional ...[more]...

The Nepal-India Woodcraft Festival-2012 is to be held at the Nepal Academy from April 27 to May 2. The festival is going to be organised under the joint aegis of the Embassy of India, Kathmandu; the Government of the Indian State of G ...[more]...

Hindu devotees across the country observed Akshya Tritiya, a significant date in the Hindu lunar calendar today. Akshya Tritiya is known as the golden day of eternal success.Hindus celebrated the festival by having jauko saatu (a prep ...[more]...

Life is about being spontaneous and living crazy. This isn't a bucket list.  It is 69 things to do in the year 2069. Feel free to tick off as you go.  1. Shout at the drivers when they don't stop while you are crossing the ...[more]...

The government has been suggested to provide incentives to boost the tourism sector. The report, prepared by the High Level Committee under the coordination of secretary at the prime minister’s office Lila Mani Poudel, includes ...[more]...

Nepathya wrapped up their Australia tour and has returned home after completing touring four cities in Australia. The band performed in Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. The last leg of the tour was organized in S ...[more]...

Minister of State for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Jwala Kumari Sah, has urged the West Bengal Government of India to help promote tourism in Nepal. Minister of State Saha, who is on a visit to India, met with Tourism Minister of West ...[more]...

Along with the increase in the number of arrivals, Chinese tourists have also become a savior for tourism industry during the current lean season. Pokhara based tourism entrepreneurs said that Chinese tourist have started traveling throughout the ...[more]...

Nepal National Tamang Ghedung is all set to organize Tamang festival at the open theatre, Tundikhel, in Kathmandu from coming May 10-12 on the occasion of 2556th Buddha Jayanti. It has been informed that the festival is to be organize ...[more]...

Travel agents and hoteliers say as more Nepalis show preferences to travel to different parts of the country even during off seasons they are making special efforts and packages to serve them in a bid to boost their business during the upcoming le ...[more]...

The outbound Meeting, Incentive, Conference and Exhibition (MICE) segment from neighbouring India has been growing in a geometric proportion in recent years. “It will continue to grow in line with the phenomenal economic growth ...[more]...

Nine star-rated and 74 tourist-standard hotels opened in the country between 2010 and 2011 after the government announced the Nepal Tourism Year 2011 (NTY) campaign. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA), the ...[more]...

Jujubhai Shrestha had his tongue pierced in Bode, Bhaktapur, today as part of nine-day Bisket Jatra celebrations that drew thousands of spectators this time as well. Before tongue piercing with a spike dipped in mustard oil, a blacksm ...[more]...

Lalitpur: The Patan Museum has raised the entry fee effective from today after the Lalitpur sub-metropolis increased the charge for tourists entering the Patan Durbar Square. With the increase, the entry fee charged to a tourist from ...[more]...

Kanchanpur: Number of foreign tourists entering Nepal through western border checkpoint, Gaddachauki, has witnessed fall this year. Only 297 foreign tourists entered Nepal via this checkpoint this year in comparison to 457 of last yea ...[more]...

Despite rise in the length of average tourist stay, foreign visitors are spending far little time on white-water rafting as most river trips these days wrap up in two days on average compared with 4-5 days in the past. Although operat ...[more]...

Domestic tourism in Nepal has been reviving gradually together with the recovery of international tourism after the start of the peace process. The number of domestic tourists visiting various destinations inside the country has been on the rise o ...[more]...

Pokhara: Country´s first well equipped fun park and tent resort is to be opened on April 14 coinciding with the Nepali New Year in Pokhara with the aim of promoting recreational tourism. Its promoters said the park and resort, s ...[more]...

Shopping malls in Kathmandu Valley have geared up to organize various programs and offer special discounts for customers on the occasion of the Nepali New Year. Civil Mall, United World Trade Center (UWTC) and City Centre are organizing various mu ...[more]...

Bhaktapur: The colorful and boisterous Bisket Jatra, which is ritually marked for eight consecutive nights and nine days in Nepal's ancient city Bhaktapur, has started from Monday. Historical records put that the Jatra was first marke ...[more]...

Travel and tourism has emerged as a major job provider in Nepal with the sector accounting for 3.3 percent of the total employment in the country in 2011. According to the publication entitled Travel and Tourism Economic Impact 2012 Nepal publishe ...[more]...

Nepali artist Sanyukta Shrestha’s traditional painting based on the story of Simhala Sartha Bahu will be exhibited at a mainstream contemporary stage in London from Wednesday. Works of as many as 50 artists, most of them award w ...[more]...

Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has directed tourism businesses that have been operating without a licence to get registered in accordance with the prescribed laws. The ministry has also mentioned that it will fine businesses t ...[more]...

Gokarana Forest Resort has launched a special ´Barbeque Brunch´ package. The package, inclusive of free swimming in indoor pool, is available at Rs 1,999 per person. Rojin Sapkota, business development manager at Gokarna F ...[more]...

As Nepal witnesses substantial rise in number of air passengers, five countries have expressed interest to increase flight frequency to Kathmandu. United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bhutan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Jordan have approached the government ...[more]...

Nepal Tourism Year (NTY) may have brought a record number of tourists in 2011, but their average per day spending has dropped to a 10-year low. Arrivals reached an all-time high of 735,965 in 2011, up 22.1 percent compared to 2010. Bu ...[more]...

Tourist arrivals in March surged 37.2 percent year on year to reach 63,799 persons, said the Immigration Office, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). Similarly, inbound during the period January-March rose 27 percent to 148,546 against the same ...[more]...

The country has been witnessing an upward trend since June 2009 which has continued in the third month of this year, clearly showing a rise in travel demand. Visitor arrivals in March registered an increase of 37.2 per cent to 63,799 ...[more]...

The private sector has submitted a report to the High Level Committee formed under the coordination of the secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office Lila Mani Poudel about policies and plans needed for overall development of the tourism indus ...[more]...

Pokhara: Tourism entrepreneurs are starting luxury coach services from next week on Pokhara-Chitwan-Pokhara route in a bid to facilitate travel between the two major tourism destinations. The services will begin from Monday. Tour operators said th ...[more]...

The travel and tourism industry of the country, in the next decade, is expected to generate more than one million jobs which will account for 8.3 per cent of the total number of jobs available in 2022. “The tourism sector has a ...[more]...

As many as 118,918 tourists have arrived in Nepal in January and February of this year through air and land routes. January welcomed 52,474 tourists while other 66,444 visited Nepal in February both, through air and land routes. ...[more]...

Mt Everest, the highest peak in the world, has been enlisted as one of the top ten stunning travel destinations around the world by Forbes, an American publishing and media company. Part of the Mahalangur Himal—a link in the Him ...[more]...

The government is amending tourism policy to promote sustainable, eco-friendly, responsible and tourist-friendly tourism,” said minister for tourism and civil aviation Lokendra Bista Magar. Speaking at the 39th annual general me ...[more]...

Turkish Airlines, the global flag carrier of Turkey, as part of their expansion plans has signed a General Sales Agent (GSA) pact with Zenith Travels effective March 1. Based in Kathmandu, Zenith Travels is licensed to hold the GSA&rs ...[more]...

Pokhara: As the tourist season peaks, airlines say 90 percent of air tickets on Pokhara-Kathmandu-Pokhara sector have been booked till May. Station Manager of Buddha Air in Pokhara said 90 percent of available tickets have been booked ...[more]...

Biratnagar: The government has adopted a plan to celebrate tourism year annually focusing on different districts each year in order to promote tourism potential of all 75 districts of the country, said Tourism Minister Lokendra Bista Magar. ...[more]...

The cultural festival of Pahanchare celebrated by the Newar community in Kathmandu Valley was observed on Wednesday. This festival is observed a day before the Ghodejatra festival or the horse festival. On the occasion of the Pahancha ...[more]...

Nepal Tourism Board is organising the first ‘Eastern Tourism Fair’ on March 22-24 in Biratnagar to promote tourist destinations of the region. The fair will be inaugurated by minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Lokendra Bista Magar ...[more]...

Trekking Agencies Association Nepal (TAAN) says it will start operation of two porter shelters in the popular Everest trekking route to provide food and accommodation to supporting staffs in cheaper price. The shelters will be constru ...[more]...

Kailali: The number of foreign tourists entering Nepal from the west border transit point has increased this year. Five foreign tourists entered the country from the Trinagar transit point and Kailali and 305 from the Gadda Chauki tra ...[more]...

Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation is preparing to study the room occupancy rates of three-star hotels across the country. “We will start collecting information from the 25 registered three-star hotels at the ministry from a ...[more]...

The Nepali Embassy in London organised a programme to commemorate the successful conclusion of ‘Nepal Tourism Year 2011’ and welcome ‘Lumbini Year 2012’ on Tuesday.   The event, aimed to highlight v ...[more]...

 The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) along with 21 travel trade companies and hotels from Nepal attended the 46th ITB Berlin in Germany.   The 152 sq.m. Nepal Pavilion showcased the rich traditional architecture and iconic ...[more]...

Trekking agencies have proposed that the government fix minimum handling charge in order to end unhealthy competition in the business and generate more revenue. Trekking Agencies´ Association of Nepal (TAAN) pushed for enforceme ...[more]...

Five-star hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara achieved 61.63 percent occupancy rate in 2011, thanks to improved tourist arrivals.   Of the 641,670 room nights available in 10 five-star property (eight in Kathmandu and two ...[more]...

Discerning air travellers may dislike the services offered by low cost carriers (LCCs), but they are the ones flying high in Nepali skies. According to Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), LCCs accounted for 24 percent of all the passengers carr ...[more]...

Strong South Asian visitor arrivals, especially Indian visitors, pushed the overall international tourist arrivals by 13.7 per cent to 42,716 by air in February.   The arrivals by air enjoyed a sustained positive growth in ...[more]...