Kathmandu: Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has publicly announced its primary goal of increasing tourism revenue by 15 percent.
The board has introduced a budget with the expectation that it will boost tourist arrivals, enhance tourism-related activities, and raise overall income by at least 15 percent compared to previous years.
For the current fiscal year, the NTB has prioritized tourism market management and promotion in its budget.
Out of the total budget of Rs 1.6 billion, Rs 43.5 crore has been allocated specifically for tourism promotion. The board emphasized that promotion remains its core objective, and the budget has been structured accordingly.
The budget includes Rs 43.61 crore for tourism market management and promotion, Rs 26.27 crore for staff and office operations, Rs 18.63 crore for tourism infrastructure and heritage development, and Rs 12.15 crore for public relations and publicity.
Additionally, NTB has allocated Rs 11.66 crore for its Pokhara office (Gandaki Province), Rs 11.12 crore for establishing and operating new provincial and other offices, Rs 4.62 crore for special promotional programmes, Rs 3 crore for the executive committee and secretariat, Rs 2.76 crore for research, planning, and monitoring.
NTB aims to increase tourist arrivals by at least 15 percent and boost overall tourism revenue by the same margin. The board has also set goals to position Nepal as an attractive and safe travel destination by conducting promotional campaigns in at least 50 source markets. Additionally, it plans to train at least 5,000 additional tourism professionals to enhance workforce capacity.
To expand tourism infrastructure, the NTB will focus on preserving at least 25 new tourism sites and establishing regional offices. The board has allocated Rs 11 crore to open new offices in Lumbini and the Far-Western region. Currently, only Gandaki Province has a regional office, but the NTB plans to add two more this year and expand further in the coming years.
The budget emphasizes digital marketing, the development of new tourism activities, domestic tourism promotion, and staff capacity building. NTB will also prioritize international branding, tourism research, and sustainable tourism development.
To attract foreign tourists, the NTB is placing special emphasis on Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism. A budget of Rs 2 crore has been allocated for international MICE events, with incentives for programmes that attract at least 75 percent foreign participation.
The NTB has set aside Rs 4.62 crore for special promotional events, including Rs 1.1 crore for Buddhist International Travel Mart, Rs 1.1 crore for Himalaya Travel Mart, Rs 1.5 crore for Adventure Travel Mart, Rs 17 lakh for Sagarmatha Samman, and Rs 75 lakh for Safari Tourism Mart.
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