IATO and NATTA Sign MoU at BITM 2025 to Boost Bilateral Tourism
To strengthen tourism cooperation between India and Nepal, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed today between the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) and the Nepal Association of Tour & Travel Agents (NATTA) in Kathmandu.
The agreement was signed by Mr. Ravi Gosain, President of IATO, and Mr. Kumar Mani Thapaliya, President of NATTA, during the Buddhist International Travel Mart (BITM 2025). The event was graced by Hon’ble Mr. Badri Prasad Pandey, Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Civil Aviation, and Mr. Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO of the Nepal Tourism Board.
The primary objectives of this MoU include:
-
Facilitating two-way tourism flows and promoting sustainable tourism growth
-
Strengthening strategic partnerships among stakeholders
-
Enhancing international visibility through joint efforts
-
Sharing tourism-related data, market trends, and promotional content
-
Keeping each other informed on policy changes in tourism, visa, or immigration
-
Enabling collaboration between public and private sector tourism bodies
-
Organizing B2B meets, networking events, and joint conventions
-
Participating in each other’s trade fairs, expos, and conventions
-
Launching cross-border tourism campaigns for pilgrimage, heritage, and adventure travel
-
Conducting familiarization trips for agents, influencers, and media
-
Encouraging knowledge exchange on legal, digital, and marketing best practices
Mr. Ravi Gosain emphasized Nepal's importance as a strategic tourism partner for India. “Many foreign tourists, especially from Buddhist countries, include Nepal as part of their India itinerary,” he noted.
He added that through the collaborative efforts of both associations, members can jointly drive growth in inbound tourism and unlock new opportunities in the Indian and Nepalese markets.
