Madhesh Travel Mart 2026 Showcases Tourism Potential of All Eight Districts to Indian Market

Kathmandu – Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Nepal Tourism Board, Hikmat Singh Air, stated that Madhesh Travel Mart 2026 was organized with the objective of promoting the tourism products of all eight districts of Madhesh Province to the Indian tourism market.

Emphasizing the importance of the open Nepal–India border, shared religious and cultural heritage, and strong people-to-people ties as key foundations for tourism development, Air expressed confidence that such initiatives would play a significant role in increasing the arrival of Indian tourists.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of Madhesh Travel Mart 2026 in Birgunj, Air said, “We have been organizing various travel marts from east to west targeting regional markets in India. We believe such programs will also be effective in protecting and promoting the substantial tourism investments made by the private sector in the Terai and mid-hill regions.”

This marks the third tourism promotion event in Madhesh Province, following the Madhesh Conclave and Madhesh Travel Meet. Air added, “Through the current Madhesh Travel Mart, we expect to present the tourism products of all eight districts of Madhesh Province to Indian tourism entrepreneurs and contribute to increasing tourist arrivals from India.”

According to Uday Bhattarai, Senior Manager of the Nepal Tourism Board, Madhesh Travel Mart 2026 was organized with the objective of promoting tourism in Madhesh Province, expanding cross-border tourism between Nepal and India, and strengthening tourism business cooperation between the two countries. The event was held across Birgunj, Jitpur Simara, Janakpurdham, and other locations.

The event was organized by the Nepal Tourism Board in collaboration with Jitpur Simara Sub-Metropolitan City and facilitated by the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) Madhesh Province. Bhattarai noted that the program would help establish Madhesh Province as a major gateway to Nepal and a leading destination for religious, cultural, and cross-border tourism.

Held from June 12 to 14, the travel mart featured business-to-business (B2B) interactions between Nepali and Indian tourism entrepreneurs, panel discussions on contemporary tourism issues, networking programs, and familiarization tours of key religious, cultural, natural, and tourism destinations across Madhesh Province.

These activities are expected to strengthen business relationships between tourism stakeholders of Nepal and India while helping identify new tourism packages and investment opportunities.

Around 55 tourism entrepreneurs and media representatives from India participated in the event, alongside 25 tourism entrepreneurs from Madhesh and other provinces of Nepal, local government representatives, and tourism stakeholders.

During a program held in Simara, Mayor of Jitpur Simara Sub-Metropolitan City Rajan Paudel expressed confidence that such initiatives would significantly contribute to tourism promotion in Madhesh Province. He reiterated the commitment of local governments to connecting the tourism potential of border areas with international markets.

The event was also attended by Deputy Mayor Bhola Prasad Adhikari, Consul General of India Devi Sahay Meena, Coordinator of Madhesh Travel Mart 2026 and NATTA Madhesh Province President Mohan Sharma, NATTA Koshi Province President Punya Prasad Bhattarai, Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) Chitwan President Om Pandey, and other prominent figures from the tourism sector.