SATV 30 April, Kathmandu: Achyut Sigdel has been unanimously elected as the president of the Nepal Tourism Development Entrepreneurs' Association, which works for the rights and interests of tourism entrepreneurs in Nepal. The association’s sixth general assembly, held on Tuesday in the capital, elected a nine-member executive committee under Sigdel's leadership.
According to election committee coordinator Dilliram Subedi, the following individuals were unanimously elected: Bhagwat Simkhada as Vice President, Bharat Prasad Timilsina as Secretary, Amit Basti as Joint Secretary, and Raju Thapaliya as Treasurer. Similarly, Rishiraj Upadhyaya, Upadesh Kunwar, Sunita Bhattarai, and Radeep Shrestha were elected as committee members.
Inaugurating the general assembly, acting president of the Nepal Chamber of Commerce, Deepak Kumar Malhotra, emphasized the potential of attracting a large number of tourists by effectively promoting and managing Nepal's key spiritual and natural sites—Pashupatinath for Vedic Sanatan Hindu devotees, Lumbini as the birthplace of Gautam Buddha for Buddhists, and Mount Everest as the world's highest peak.
He noted that though the Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal and Bangkok’s airport in Thailand were similar five decades ago, the Bangkok airport has expanded significantly due to increased tourist arrivals. He stressed the need to expand Nepal’s airport capacity accordingly.
The outgoing president and chair of the assembly, Nirajan Tiwari, expressed his gratitude to everyone who supported him during his three-year tenure at the organization. While stepping down from the presidency, he stated that he would continue to remain active in the tourism sector and always be ready to support the association. He also extended his congratulations and best wishes to the newly elected executive committee.
Rohini Khanal, Head of Tourism, Marketing and Promotion Department of the Nepal Tourism Board, mentioned that the board was established with the goal of developing Nepal as a major international travel destination and is working toward achieving that goal.
Professor Dr. Som Prasad Khatiwada, President of the Religion and Culture Studies Association Nepal and former head of the Central Department of History, Archaeology, and Culture at Tribhuvan University, pointed out that tourists visiting Lumbini often skip Kathmandu and described the situation in Kapilvastu as disorganized, urging relevant authorities to make improvements.
During the event, several individuals were honored for their outstanding contributions to the tourism sector. Ram Sharan Nepal of the Himalayan Traditional Healing and Therapy Center was recognized as the best traditional healing practitioner, Kedar Nath Kattel of Nepal OnTime Vehicle Service as the best tourism transport entrepreneur, Bikash Thapa of Royal China Mountain Restaurant as the best tourism restaurant entrepreneur, Rameshwar Maharjan of Mountain Tea Trade as the best tea entrepreneur, and Rajkaji Maharjan was honored as the best tourist guide for the year 2024/25.
