KATHMANDU: The Nepal Tourism Board and the Hotel Association of Nepal wrapped up a two-day promotion programme in New Delhi on Tuesday, bringing together over 40 Nepali hotel brands and more than 80 Indian travel agents and hoteliers in a B2B networking event that organisers say reflects the growing strategic importance of the Indian outbound market for Nepal's tourism industry.

The Nepal Promotion Program with B2B Networking Session, held at The LaLit New Delhi in collaboration with the Embassy of Nepal, followed a destination wedding-focused launch event the previous day that drew strong interest from Indian wedding planners — with Nepal's cultural affinity, geographical proximity, and convenience cited as the key draws.

HAN Chairman Vinayak Shah opened the formal proceedings with welcome remarks, while NTB Officiating Director Laxman Gautam delivered a presentation on Nepal's core tourism offerings — framing the country's historical and cultural ties with India as a natural marketing advantage in what remains Nepal's single largest source market.

M.P. Bezharuah, Secretary General of the Hotel Association of India, put the relationship in long perspective, noting that Indian travellers have consistently chosen Nepal for leisure, religious, and honeymoon travel since the late 1970s. "The historical trend of Nepal being the first choice for leisure, religious, and honeymoon travelers in India has only strengthened with rising travel trends among Indian citizens," he said.

NTB Senior Officer Robin Regmi pointed to the untapped potential of the shared border as a distinct opportunity. "With over 1,700 km of shared land borders, we are optimistic about exploring border tourism opportunities that benefit both nations," he said, signalling that NTB sees cross-border connectivity as a frontier for future product development.

Ankita Jaiswal, Sustainability Lead at FHRAI, urged participants to keep local culture at the centre of the Nepal experience — arguing that authenticity is the strongest driver of repeat visitation. Embassy of Nepal Minister Counselor and Spokesperson Ambika Joshi welcomed the momentum generated across both days and expressed support for establishing similar forums as a regular feature of the Nepal-India tourism partnership.

The two-day event underscores a deliberate push by NTB and HAN to deepen Nepal's presence in the Indian market through trade-level engagement — moving beyond destination advertising toward direct partnerships between Nepali hospitality businesses and Indian travel industry intermediaries.