NTB Health Tourism Mart 2025 Highlights Koshi’s Cross-Border PotentialMonday, June 30th, 2025

KATHMANDU, June 30: The second Health Tourism Mart–2025, organized by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), has highlighted Koshi Province’s strong potential to emerge as a center for health tourism. Held over two days at City Center, Birtamod in Jhapa, the event deepened collaboration between the health and tourism sectors, reinforcing confidence in developing Koshi as a “health tourism hub.”
At the inaugural ceremony, Koshi Province Minister for Tourism, Forest, and Environment, Sadananda Mandal, emphasized that tourism is the backbone of the province’s prosperity. He reiterated the provincial government’s commitment to promoting health tourism. “We are moving ahead on a clear path toward prosperity through tourism promotion,” said Minister Mandal. “The provincial government is dedicated to ensuring a safe and comfortable environment for patients coming from India for treatment.”

He highlighted Koshi’s well-trained human resources, favorable climate, modern healthcare infrastructure, and peaceful natural surroundings as advantages for both Ayurvedic and allopathic care. “The climate here alone can help cure many diseases,” he noted, adding that the government is working to expand health tourism services and improve the legal framework to support them.
The mart showcased 48 stalls representing eye, dental, skin and Ayurvedic hospitals, hotels, tourism service providers, pharmacies, and other organizations. A photo exhibition of Koshi’s key tourist destinations added further appeal.
The region’s potential was underlined by examples ranging from chartered medical flights from Finland to the regular influx of cross-border patients from India. Two panel discussions explored the sector’s potential, existing challenges and paths for improvement.

In the first session, participants including eye specialist Dr. Ajit Kumar Thakur, cancer specialist Dr. Birendra Kumar Sharma, NTB Acting Director Rohini Khanal, and Indian tourism entrepreneur Debashish Chakravarty discussed frameworks for integrating healthcare with tourism promotion.
The second session, titled Cross-Border Tourism, featured Koshi Province Chief Whip of the Nepali Congress Gopal Tamang, former NATTA-Koshi Chair Uday Kumar Shrestha, Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development Network Secretary General Samrat Sigdel, and NTB Senior Manager Surya Thapaliya. They emphasized the urgent need for supportive policies, infrastructure, and bilateral cooperation to grow cross-border tourism.

A significant component of the mart was a B2B meeting between Nepali and Indian tourism entrepreneurs. With more than 25 Indian representatives participating, the event is expected to help create treatment packages, identify investment opportunities, and forge strategic partnerships.
Dr. Thakur shared that even high-ranking Nepali and Indian figures prefer Nepal for eye treatment, citing strong infrastructure, skilled professionals, and service quality. “We are rich in terms of infrastructure, workforce, and quality,” he said.
Similarly, Dr. Sharma noted that the lack of promotion has been a major barrier to Nepal’s health tourism growth. “We offer cheaper, high-quality services compared to India, but we lack effective marketing,” he remarked.
NTB’s Rohini Khanal stressed that Nepal’s healing environment and Himalayan appeal must be globally promoted to position health tourism as a new avenue.
Senior Manager Surya Thapaliya echoed the sentiment, calling health tourism a strategic path for economic development and urging stronger public-private collaboration.
With the slogan “Let’s promote health and tourism together,” the mart has laid the groundwork to position Nepal—especially Koshi Province—as a promising destination for health tourism by blending high-quality healthcare, natural serenity, cross-border connectivity, and strong governmental support.

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