July 16: The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) is preparing to spend a budget of Rs 1 billion for overseas promotional activities in the upcoming fiscal year.

With the target of welcoming more than 1 million tourists in Nepal in the fiscal year 2023/24, the NTB is preparing to announce a budget of Rs 1.25 billion next year. NTB officials said that 80 percent of the budget will be spent on tourism promotion in the international market.

According to NTB Director Mani Raj Lamichhane, the board is preparing to launch promotional activities to bring back the tourism business that was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic to normalcy.

“Around 80 percent of the budget for the next fiscal year will be spent on tourism promotion in the international market,” said Lamichhane, adding, “The remaining amount will be spent on domestic tourism promotion and infrastructure development.”

According to him, the board will give priority in promotional activities in India, China, Singapore, Malaysia and other South East Asian countries.

“Priorities will also be given to the USA and the UK which have been contributing to the tourism sector of Nepal since a long time,” said Lamichhane.

The NTB is also planning to  promote tourism in Australia as the country’s flag carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation is planning to start direct flights to Australia in the near future.