Madhesh Travel Mart 2026 Strengthens Nepal–India Tourism Partnership and Showcases Madhesh as a Gateway DestinationMonday, June 15th, 2026

Madhesh Travel Mart 2026, organized in collaboration with Jitpursimara Sub-Metropolitan City and facilitated by NATTA Madhesh Province, was successfully concluded from June 12–14, 2026 across Birgunj, Jitpursimara and Janakpurdham. The event was designed to promote Madhesh Province as a key gateway to Nepal, strengthen Nepal–India tourism cooperation, and enhance opportunities for cross-border tourism and trade.

The three-day travel mart brought together tourism entrepreneurs, media representatives, policymakers and stakeholders from Nepal and India through a series of Business-to-Business (B2B) meetings, networking sessions, panel discussions and familiarization tours of Madhesh Province’s major religious, cultural, historical and natural attractions. Around 55 tourism entrepreneurs and media representatives from India participated alongside 25 tourism entrepreneurs from across Nepal, creating valuable opportunities for business collaboration, destination promotion and the development of new tourism products and packages.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony in Birgunj, Nepal Tourism Board Officiating Chief Executive Officer Hikmat Singh Ayer highlighted the immense potential of Madhesh Province in advancing cross-border tourism. He emphasized that the open border between Nepal and India, shared cultural and religious heritage, and longstanding people-to-people connections provide a strong foundation for tourism growth and regional cooperation. He also expressed confidence that the participation of Indian travel trade representatives and media would contribute significantly to increasing Indian visitor arrivals to Nepal.

As part of the program, delegates explored prominent tourism destinations across Madhesh Province through a dedicated familiarization tour, gaining first-hand experience of the region’s diverse tourism offerings. The event also served as a platform to discuss emerging trends and opportunities in regional tourism development, destination marketing, connectivity and cross-border travel facilitation.

At the special welcome ceremony in Simara, participants were received with traditional cultural pageantry showcasing the rich heritage of Madhesh Province. Mayor Rajan Paudel of Jitpursimara Sub-Metropolitan City welcomed the delegates and expressed confidence that the event would contribute significantly to tourism promotion in the province. The ceremony was attended by Deputy Mayor Bhola Prasad Adhikari, Consul General of India in Birgunj Devi Sahai Meena, Coordinator of Madhesh Travel Mart 2026 and President of NATTA Madhesh Province Mohan Sharma, President of NATTA Koshi Province Punya Prasad Bhattarai, and President of Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) Chitwan Om Pandey, among other distinguished guests and tourism stakeholders.

Nepal Tourism Board believes that Madhesh Travel Mart 2026 has laid a strong foundation for positioning Madhesh Province as a leading destination for religious, cultural and cross-border tourism. The successful conclusion of the event marks another important step in strengthening Nepal–India tourism cooperation and creating new opportunities for tourism investment, business exchange and visitor growth in the years ahead.