From Policy to Practice: Minister Pandey's Goals for Nepal's Tourism

KATHMANDU, July 15:Badri Prasad Pandey,  the Nepali Congress, has been appointed as the Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation.

Minister Pandey has mainly highlighted the urgent need to update Nepal's tourism policy, which has remained unchanged for 16 years. A working group, led by Indu Ghimire, Joint Secretary of the Ministry, has been formed to draft a new policy aligned with the principles of federalism. This task force has been given a three-month timeframe to provide its recommendations.

"We will advance the tourism sector according to the spirit of federalism. A task force has been formed to formulate a policy in this regard. We will make a policy according to the recommendations of that working group," Minister Pandey stated.

Pandey is committed to maintaining integrity and reducing corruption within the ministry. He aims to restore public trust by ensuring good governance. "I want to serve the country and the Ministry of Tourism in such a way that the politics of integrity and honesty will not be tarnished in any way," he affirmed.

Pandey highlighted the importance of creating job opportunities to retain the youth in Nepal. He sees the tourism sector as a key area for employment generation. "We will work to make the youth stay in the country. We will focus on job creation," he said.

Minister Pandey also highlighted the need to reform the Nepal Airlines Corporation. He also seeks to operationalize the Gautam Buddha and Pokhara International Airports, which, despite being completed two years ago, remain non-functional. Pandey's success in this endeavor can greatly improve Nepal's aviation infrastructure and bolster the country's tourism potential.

Minister Badri Prasad Pandey's vision for the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation centers around updating the tourism policy, promoting integrity, addressing youth employment concerns, and revamping Nepal Airlines. With this plan in mind, he claims that "there is an opportunity to bring in millions of tourists with huge investment in the tourism sector of Nepal, and we will work accordingly in the future."