The Embassy of India in Kathmandu, in association with the Nepal Tourism Board and the Pokhara Tourism Council, jointly organized the second India–Nepal Tourism Meet in Pokhara on 18 December 2025. The event focused on strengthening tourism cooperation between Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, with particular emphasis on Gandaki Province. The programme also marked the celebration of the International Year of Cooperatives.

Chief Minister of Gandaki Province, Surendra Raj Pandey, attended the programme as the Chief Guest. In his remarks, he welcomed the expanding tourism collaboration with India, especially in key destinations such as Pokhara and Muktinath.

Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India, Dr. Rakesh Pandey, highlighted improvements in connectivity as a major driver of cross-border tourism growth. He stressed the importance of joint India–Nepal efforts to fully harness tourism potential, including through the promotion of religious and cultural tourism circuits connecting destinations in Nepal and neighbouring Indian states.

Joint Director of Uttar Pradesh Tourism, Dinesh Kumar, delivered a presentation on tourism circuits in Uttar Pradesh, with special reference to the upcoming Magh Mela. He also shared best practices adopted in tourism policy implementation in the state.

CEO of the Nepal Tourism Board, Deepak Raj Joshi, provided an overview of Nepal’s tourism sector, noting that India remains the largest source of foreign tourists to Nepal. He outlined various initiatives undertaken by the Board to further promote India–Nepal tourism cooperation.

The B2B session of the Meet saw participation from around 10 delegates from India and 60 from Nepal. Discussions focused on enhancing cross-border tourism, particularly through land routes, with tour operators from both sides exploring collaboration in Buddhist circuits, wildlife tourism, and adventure tourism.

As part of the programme, the Pokhara Tourism Council and the Nepal Tourism Board also organized a familiarization trip for the Uttar Pradesh delegation from 15 to 17 December 2025.