KATHMANDU: Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pandey, has highlighted that Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, is a symbol of global pride and Nepal’s unique identity.
Speaking at a ceremony held Thursday morning at Basantapur, Kathmandu, to mark International Everest Day, Minister Pandey called for collective efforts from all stakeholders to raise awareness on the conservation and promotion of Everest and to attract tourists from around the world.
He highlighted that Nepal has successfully organized the Sagarmatha Sambaad to raise international awareness about the climate-related challenges faced by countries in the Himalayan region.
“When the snow melts on Everest, it doesn’t just affect Nepal and the Himalayas—it impacts the entire planet. The dialogue was crucial in conveying that this is a global concern,” he said.
To commemorate the day, a morning rally was organized in Thamel, a major tourist hub of Kathmandu.
Minister Pandey, Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism Indu Ghimire, Director General of the Department of Tourism Narayan Regmi, CEO of Nepal Tourism Board Deepak Raj Joshi, along with tourism entrepreneurs, representatives of tourism-related organizations, government officials, security personnel, and members of the public participated in the rally.
Prior to the rally, floral tributes were offered at the life-size statues of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary located within the Nepal Tourism Board premises.
International Everest Day is celebrated annually on May 29 to commemorate the historic first successful ascent of Mount Everest by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary on this day in 1953.
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