NTB and USAID launch the International Tourism Campaign

KATHMANDU, June 03:Nepal Tourism Board(NTB) collaborates with The United States Agency for International Development(USAID) Trade and Competitiveness to launch the International Tourism Campaign. An event was held on June 1st, 2023 at Yak and Yeti Hotel to commemorate the dawn of the campaign. USAID is partnering with Stellar, the world’s largest storytelling platform, to promote Nepal as an ideal destination for high-value travelers. 

The program invited 10 content creators and influencers from the USA, Canada, and Europe to run a promotional campaign to showcase Nepal’s history, culture, nature, and adventures using social media. The content creators are Lindsay Steven, Eric Matt| Montana, Allison Wolf, Jake Guzman, Alex Stead, Magdalena Mittersteiner, Chloe Chapdelaine, Evelyn Cheng, Kyle Kotajarvi, and Michelle Lawrence.

The program featured the CEO of NTB, Dr. Dhananjay Regmi, as the chief guest. He was overjoyed about the content of this campaign and wished it to be akin to a “Nepal beyond mountains” campaign. He wanted to change the image of Nepal from a mountainous and seasonal destination to a “destination for all age groups at all seasons.”

He expressed regret that Nepal was limited to a certain age group of people, due to the overpowering reputation of its mountains. He wished to promote other regions of Nepal as well such as the Terai region, Various national parks, Pokhara, etc. that are open all year round. He believes that this concept should be taught in educational institutions and also promoted by travel agencies.

Agnes Luz, the chief of the party for USAID, gave the opening remarks for the program. She explained the 4 key objectives of USAID as “Agriculture, Digital field, Tourism, and Export”. She believes that tourism is a major part of the global value chain and wanted to capture the beauty of Nepal beyond the mountains. She hoped that the culture and natural beauty of Nepal would be further showcased in the upcoming years. 

Mr. Vazul Szakacs, partnership director at Stellar, prioritized 3 goals of the event: driving a promotion campaign for high-value visitors, boosting the economy, and accelerating the tourism industry. He wished to leverage the power of influencers to promote local areas such as Pokhara, Lumbini, and Chitwan. He also wished to help local influencers and equip them with quality content. The Deputy Mission Director of USAID Nepal, Karen Welch, also wished to promote Nepal’s biodiversity, culture, activities such as rafting and paragliding, and religious places.

The content creators were divided into two groups which visited Lumbini and Mustang, respectively. They commented on the side of Nepal that they didn’t realize existed. They were particularly blown away by the luxury provided by their hotels. They also enjoyed various adventures such as paragliding, Safari, Large lakes, Bungee jumping, boating, etc. Rehan Shrestha, a content creator from Nepal, also expressed that Nepal has more to offer than trekking, such as luxury hotels, safari, paragliding, unique culture, spirituality  Lumbini, Adrenaline boosting activities, etc.