NICE 2025: A Landmark Tri-Nation Tourism Expo Concludes Successfully in Pokhara
The first ever tri-nation tourism expo, Nepal India China Expo (NICE 2025) was concluded on a very high note in Nepal’s tourism capital, Pokhara, from 24th to 26th February, attracting over 600 delegates from 14 countries, including more than 100 international participants and national tourism stakeholders.
The three-day expo, the first of its kind, was organized by the PATA Nepal Chapter in collaboration with the Nepal Tourism Board, Pokhara Tourism Council, and key public and private sector stakeholders at local, provincial, national, and regional levels.
Honorable Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Mr. Badri Prasad Pandey, inaugurated NICE 2025 on February 24th at the Pokhara Event Center. In his address, Minister Pandey emphasized that NICE 2025 reflects the deep historical, cultural, and economic ties among Nepal, India, and China. He highlighted Nepal’s strategic role as a bridge between the two neighboring nations and its potential to benefit from their vast populations and rapidly growing economies. He further stated that the Government of Nepal is committed to strengthening the tourism industry through infrastructure improvements, resolving challenges at Nepal’s international airports, addressing the EU Air Safety ban, streamlining visa processes, enhancing connectivity, and ensuring world-class tourism services.
Honorable Mitra Lal Basyal, Minister for Industry and Tourism of the Gandaki Province, expressed appreciation to PATA Nepal Chapter for organizing the event in Pokhara and emphasized the immense tourism potential of the province.
Mr. Khem Lakai, Chairman of PATA Nepal Chapter, extended a warm welcome to all attendees, highlighting NICE 2025 as a novel initiative marking PATA Nepal’s 50th anniversary. He stressed the importance of positioning Nepal as a premier destination by leveraging its two largest source markets—India and China.
Mr. Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO of Nepal Tourism Board, welcome all the delegates and invited them to experience and promote Nepal’s unique tourism offerings.
Special Guest and Speaker Mr. Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), congratulated Nepal on hosting NICE 2025 and emphasized the event’s role in fostering strategic alliances and unlocking new opportunities in the tourism sector.
Similarly, the Spokesperson of Pokhara Metropolitan City- Mr. Motilal Timilsina, also extended welcoming remarks and expressed appreciation and support for NICE 2025.
Mr. Anand Jha, Vice President and Head of Government Engagement for India and South Asia at Visa Inc., reaffirmed Visa’s commitment to strengthening Nepal’s tourism ecosystem. Visa has been at the forefront of promoting tourism and has developed powerful tools such as Visa Destination Insights and Visa Tourism Insights, which provide bespoke dashboards to help governments and tourism authorities promote inbound tourism worldwide.
The inauguration ceremony featured mesmerizing cultural performances representing the three nations. Following the ceremony, delegates attended a Welcome Dinner Reception hosted by the Pokhara Metropolitan City and the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, Gandaki Province.
A Pre-Expo FAM Trip on February 23rd offered international delegates two immersive itineraries: “Sunrise to Sunset in Pokhara” and “Nature & Adventure Escape in Pokhara.” These experiences were hosted by the Nepal Airsports Association and Highground Adventure, with Fishtail Lodge hosting lunch and Raniban Retreat providing Hi-tea.
The NICE 2025 Conference (powered by VISA) took place on February 24th under the theme “NICE for MICE and More,” featuring leading experts discussing key topics, including Where Is the Blue Ocean? – Innovations and Leadership in Tourism and Hospitality, China’s Outbound Tourism and Its Impact on South Asian Destinations, MICE Tourism, Unleashing the Power of Aviation, High-Value Wellness with High-Volume Markets: Capitalizing on Global Trends on Health & Well-being, and The Potential of Indian Weddings in Nepal.
The B2B Expo, held on February 25th and 26th, brought together 80 buyer organizations from India and China and 75 seller organizations; and facilitated over 2,100 pre-matched business appointments and networking opportunities. Additionally, Hotel Barahi hosted a Gala Dinner Reception for NICE 2025 delegates on 25th February.
The Closing Ceremony and Farewell Dinner Reception, hosted by Nepal Tourism Board on February 26th at Club Catwalk, celebrated the successful completion of NICE 2025 with a night of music, dance, appreciation, celebration and feast. Mr. Sunil Bahadur Bhattarai, NICE 2025 Convener, expressed heartfelt gratitude to all partners and individuals who contributed to the event’s overwhelming success.
NICE 2025 received support from various partners and public-private sector organizations, including the Nepal Tourism Board, the Ministry of Industry and Tourism (Gandaki Province), Pokhara Metropolitan City, Pokhara Tourism Council, Hotel Association Pokhara Nepal, PATA, PATA India Chapter, Guangzhou International Travel Fair (GITF), VISA, Ncell, Nepal Airlines, Himalaya Airlines, Buddha Air, Nabil Bank, Nepal Pay QR, Citizen Bank, IATO, GAEHP, rem.work, NAA, High Ground Adventures Nepal, CIWEC, Nepal Traveller, Alpine Rescue Service, Skylark Himalayan Travel and Treks, Pokhara Event Center, ABTO, COTRI, HTTDN, GTAA, and others.
The official hotel and hospitality partners included Himalayan Front, Water Front, Majestic Lake Front, Pokhara Grande, Mount Glory Forest Resort, Hotel Sarowar, Mount Kailash Resort, Barahi Hospitality and Leisure, Fishtail Lodge, Temple Tree Resort, Temple Himalaya, Hotel Crown Himalayas, Big Pillow Inn, Hotel Rom Regency, Mum’s Garden, Bar Peepal, Dorje’s Resort, Raniban Retreat, Blue Planet Lodge, and Hotel Queens Park from Pokhara. Similarly, Hilton Kathmandu, Hotel Jampa, Dusit Princess, Traditional Comfort, Square Hotel, Hotel Himalaya, Park Village Resort, Lemon Tree Premier, Hotel Crowne Imperial and Kantipur Village, based in Kathmandu, also contributed making NICE 2025 a grand success.
The acclaimed success of NICE 2025 underscores Nepal’s growing prominence in the global tourism landscape and its commitment to fostering regional collaboration for sustainable tourism growth.
