Government announces Pokhara as the Tourism Capital of Nepal   

March 17: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal announced Pokhara as the Tourism Capital of Nepal. On Sunday, he made this announcement amidst a function organized at Barahighat, near the Phewa Lake in Kaski. Before this, the Prime Minister publicized a logo and memorial pillar relating to the tourism capital.    

To promote international flights from Pokhara Regional International Airport, the Pokhara Tourism Council (PTC) submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Dahal. 

PTC Chairperson Pom Narayan Shrestha cited the poor condition of major roads connecting Pokhara and irregular international flights from Pokhara International Airport despite being operational for over a year. Council calls for early international flights to/from Pokhara. Tourism entrepreneurs face crises due to economic recession and seek loan repayment extensions. PTC requests motivation and time.

The council demands a restructuring of the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and urges the government to start international flights from Pokhara International Airport, with Nepal Airlines operating initially and other airlines incentivized to follow. PTC expressed concern that the individual paragliding ban demoralized paragliding players. CAAN banned individual paragliding after a Ninth National Paragliding Competition accident last year.