Nepal Reinforces Commitment to Sustainable and Responsible Tourism at ITB Berlin 2026Friday, March 6th, 2026

Berlin, Germany – Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), along with 25 tourism industry stakeholders, successfully participated in ITB Berlin 2026, the world’s leading travel trade show, held from March 3 to 5, 2026. The event served as a crucial platform for Nepal to highlight its diverse tourism offerings, forge new business relationships, and strengthen ties with global travel trade partners.

The 60th edition of ITB Berlin 2026 under the motto “Discover the stories behind 60 years of legacy,” celebrating six decades as a leader in the global travel industry. The accompanying 2026 convention focused on the theme “Leading Tourism into Balance,” emphasizing sustainable, forward-looking strategies for the sector came to a successful end on 5 March 2026 in Berlin, Germany. With around 5,800 exhibitors from more than 171 countries, the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show maintains its position as the leading platform for the global travel industry. An exclusive B2B event confirmed its standing as the leading platform of the global travel industry. Over the three business days more than 1,00,000 attendees from more than 171 countries were in Berlin. ITB Berlin also attracted considerable media attention, with around 2,700 media members and 300 travel bloggers and high-profile international political figures at the event.

Nepal’s delegation was led by the Senior Officers of Nepal Tourism Board -Ms. Srijana Nepali, Mr. Robin Regmi and Mr. Shiv Raj Pandeya comprising of airlines, hotels, travel and tour operators, actively engaged with international stakeholders, generating strong interest in Nepal as a premier travel destination. The Nepal pavilion effectively showcased Nepal’s cultural heritage, adventure tourism, and spiritual experiences, drawing significant attention from global buyers and media representatives. Despite the ongoing crisis, Nepal’s presence was well acknowledged with a strong presence of 25 companies.

Germany continues to be one of Nepal’s key European source markets. In 2025, Nepal welcomed 30,227 German tourists out of a total of 1,197,191 international arrivals, ranking Germany 9th among Nepal’s top source markets. This highlights Germany’s strategic importance and reinforces the value of Nepal’s continued engagement at ITB Berlin.

Nepal: Paving Paths for Responsible Tourism and Product Diversification at ITB Spati 

As a part of the official ITB Program, Nepal Tourism Board’s Senior Officer Ms. Srijana Nepali participated in a special new segment of ITB i.e. ITB Spati in Hall7.2C. on 4 March 2026. During her Destination Pitch titled “Nepal: Paving Paths for Responsible Tourism and Product Diversification,” she highlighted Nepal’s commitment to sustainable tourism and introduced emerging tourism products, particularly Trail-Based Tourism (TBT). 

In response to the growing global demand for sustainable tourism, Nepal has placed sustainability at the core of its tourism development strategy. A key recent initiative is the Trail-Based Tourism (TBT) program, which has introduced four new trekking routes across the mid-hill regions of Koshi Province. This initiative promotes environmental stewardship, community participation, empowerment and product diversification within Nepal’s tourism sector. The TBT project focuses on trail construction and rehabilitation, destination branding and promotion, capacity building in hospitality and hygiene standards, and policy incentives that support innovative and adventure tourism. The four designated routes—Mundum, Chiyabari (Tea Garden), Phalgunanda, and Laligurans (Rhododendron)—span nearly 400 kilometers of culturally rich and environmentally sustainable trail-based destinations, offering visitors immersive experiences while benefiting local communities.

Complementing this effort is the Sustainable Tourism Project (STP), a joint initiative of the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and UNDP Nepal. Designed to support post-COVID tourism recovery, STP strengthens domestic tourism, improves tourism infrastructure, promotes digital marketing, fosters public–private partnerships, and encourages inclusive business development. The project aims to build a resilient, competitive, and sustainable tourism economy in Nepal. STP focuses on three core outputs: improving tourism facilities along three major trekking trails (Api- Saipal Trekking Route, Manaslu Region / Buddha Himal–Himalchuli Great Lake Circuit Trek and Kanchenjunga Valley Base Camp Trek) to enhance community livelihoods; boosting employment and enterprise development for disadvantaged groups; and increasing tourist inflow through policy advocacy, digital innovation, and strategic marketing.

Cultural Evening: Celebrating Nepal

As a key highlight of Nepal’s participation, the Nepali Embassy in Berlin and NTB jointly hosted a special Nepal Evening on March 3, 2026. The event, attended by around 200 distinguished guests, including high level delegates, tourism professionals, and representatives of various associations, provided a platform to promote Nepal’s tourism, art, and culture. 

Mr. Sagar Prasad Phuyal, Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Embassy of Nepal in Berlin, highlighted Nepal’s tourism, culture, and art, as well as opportunities for foreign direct investment, while emphasizing the importance of further strengthening people-to-people relations between Nepal and Germany. He also briefed about the ongoing situation of middle east crisis.

Senior Officer Ms. Srijana Nepali presented the current status of Nepal’s tourism sector and ongoing initiatives for its development. She delivered a Destination Presentation, outlining the unique reasons to visit the country.

The former Assistant Secretary-General of UNWTO, Professor Geoffrey Lipman, underscored sustainable tourism as a response to ongoing environmental and climate challenges and urged entrepreneurs to explore niche markets. Mr. Juergen Steinmetz, Chairman of the World Travel Network, shared reflections on his 40 years of experience visiting Nepal. On the occasion, Ms. Hanna Pearson, APAC Regional Director of ATTA, shed light on the prospects of adventure tourism as a niche alternative to the traditional 3S (Sun, Sand, and Sea) model of the tourism industry and highlighted Nepal’s potential as a premier adventure tourism destination, particularly given its fast-flowing rivers and adventurous hiking trails.

The event featured captivating cultural performances by local Nepali artists, a networking dinner offering authentic Nepali cuisine, and the distribution of promotional materials highlighting Nepal’s diverse tourism experiences.

Strengthening Nepal’s Global Position 

Nepal’s participation in ITB Berlin 2026 provided trade participants with valuable opportunities to reconnect with existing networks, establish new partnerships, and explore potential business prospects, while also gaining insights into the evolving global tourism landscape. The participation further reaffirmed Nepal’s position as a resilient and attractive destination for travelers worldwide that reinforce confidence in Nepal’s tourism sector, expand its presence in the German and European markets, and build stronger partnerships with the global travel trade.

Participating Companies

Under the coordination of the Nepal Tourism Board, the following Nepali travel trade companies showcased their products and services at ITB Berlin 2026

More information

♦ Nepal Tourism Board 

♦ Tourist Service Center, Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu 

♦ Tel: 977-5256909; Fax: 977-4256910 

♦ E-mail: info@ntb.org.np  

♦ Website: https://ntb.gov.np/

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