KATHMANDU: The newly appointed Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Badri Pande, has announced that the tourism policy will be updated in a timely manner to contribute to the development of the tourism sector.

Minister Pande emphasized that new programs would be launched to attract more tourists by exploring tourism potentials through a revised policy. He made these remarks while assuming office in Singha Durbar on Monday.

To ensure the policy is relevant, Minister Pande formed a task force coordinated by a joint secretary at the ministry. He expressed confidence that the country would witness tourism development as national politics stabilizes. The tourism sector, which was severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, is gradually recovering. According to Minister Pande, formulating and enforcing an effective strategy is crucial to achieving tourism targets.

He also called for cooperation from the employees, acknowledging their role as the permanent government.

Minister Pande stressed that culture is the essence of the country and requires proper attention and protection. In line with this, he signed a decision to form a task force to study and suggest updates to the Tourism Policy, 2065. This task force is coordinated by Joint Secretary Hemraj Tamang at the ministry.

He reminded that the effective operation of international airports and the national flag carrier would significantly boost tourism.

Minister Pande is the 41st Tourism Minister of the country. The ministry was first established in 2034 BS with Dr. Harka Gurung as the Minister of State for Tourism.

Born in Bajura district in 2030 BS, Minister Pande is a Nepali Congress lawmaker elected from constituency no. 1 of Bajura in the 2079 BS general election. He has been involved in politics since 2043 BS with his affiliation to the Nepali Congress and has served in various capacities within the party since his student days in politics.

He holds an MA in Political Science from Tribhuvan University.