KATHMANDU; The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has launched the ‘Nepal Travel Specialist – Basic Level’ online course with the goal of enhancing the knowledge, skills, and service quality of tourism professionals in the country.
Developed in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nepal, the online course aims to build a stronger, more sustainable tourism sector.
Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey inaugurated the course by unveiling a QR code during the opening ceremony of the ongoing Himalayan Travel Mart in Kathmandu.
The three-day event, which concludes today, was organized jointly by the NTB, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Nepal Chapter, Nepal Airlines, and private sector stakeholders.
Speaking at the event, Minister Pandey expressed confidence that the training initiative would help make Nepal’s tourism industry more sustainable, inclusive, and professional.
The program is primarily targeted at travel agents, tour guides, tour operators, trekking companies, and students pursuing tourism studies.
NTB CEO Deepak Raj Joshi described the initiative as a milestone in the digital empowerment of Nepal’s tourism sector.
“Through our collaboration with UNDP, we are not just sharing knowledge; we are laying the groundwork for a tourism industry that is professional, inclusive, and future-ready,” he said.
Offered free of charge under the ‘Sustainable Tourism Project (STP)’, the course is hosted on the NTB’s e-learning platform and covers a broad range of topics.
These include Nepal’s geographic, cultural, and biological diversity; major tourism offerings such as trekking, adventure, cultural heritage, and wellness tourism; principles of sustainable tourism; destination conservation; responsible travel practices; climate resilience; customer service; and visitor engagement.
The Board noted that this initiative aligns with Nepal’s ‘Tourism Decade’ strategy, which aims to attract 3.5 million international tourists by 2032.
As part of this long-term vision, the STP—set to run from 2025 to 2028 in partnership with UNDP—aims to create 2,500 jobs and provide tourism-related skill development training to 5,000 individuals.
The project will be implemented at the local level through infrastructure upgrades, digital innovation, and capacity-building efforts, particularly focused on empowering women and marginalized communities.
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