On the occasion of the 44th World Tourism Day, Thamel Tourism Development, in collaboration with The Kathmandu Post, hosted the Thamel Nakha Festival on Saturday. The festival aimed to revitalise Thamel as a tourism hub.

The slogan for this year’s festival was ‘Tourism and Peace’.

The festival's formal inauguration was postponed due to rain. Still, it officially began with the playing of the national anthem, led by chief guest Arun Kumar Chaudhary, the state minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation.

Chaudhary emphasised the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors to develop tourism, saying, “By involving the private sector and working together in partnership with them, we can take tourism forward.”

He also mentioned, “To develop Nepal’s tourism sector, we will move ahead by taking suggestions from different tourism businesses and citizens.”

Similarly, Sagar Pandey, president of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN), discussed the challenges of implementing effective tourism policies. He highlighted that while tourism-related business had increased, customers hadn’t increased.

In his welcome speech, Dhurba Adhikari, president of the Thamel Tourism Development Council, highlighted the importance of the tourism industry for Nepal’s economic growth. He said, “Even small investments in tourism can lead to significant success.”

Rajeev Pandey, the vice president and event coordinator of Thamel Tourism Development Council, said, “Tourism development is achievable with collective support from everyone.” He also stressed the importance of transforming Thamel into a tourist hub, which would involve establishing it as a pedestrian-friendly zone.

After the formal ceremony, the festival featured musical performances from bands and artists such as the Temptation Band, Patrick Wilson, Girish Khatiwada, Sugam Pokharel and the Baja Gaja, and finally Kuma Sagar and the Khwopa Band.

The festivalvs host, Khushboo Pradhan, engaged the audience by offering a free cocktail coupon from Fairfield by Mariott in exchange for their participation in a sing-along session. Tourists also participated in this rendezvous by singing songs from their respective countries.

Similarly, the event featured different stalls across three main locations: Sanchay Kosh Bhawan, Paryatan Road and Narsingh Chowk. Sanchay Kosh Bhawan featured food stalls with local and regional delicacies such as Bhoj Deals, Taste of Sikkim and Max Tiger (energy drink).

The streets were adorned with colourful kites. Likewise, Narsingh Chowk featured two stalls: Kit Ink and Mithilathings. Kitlink calligraphy stall featured live calligraphy drawings, whereas Mithilathings presented accessories like mirrors and bags, all designed with traditional Mithila art.

Lastly, Thamel Marga featured a Newari Dish called Samya Baji, offering an authentic taste of Newa cuisine.

The organisers concluded the event positively, despite challenges posed by the weather.