Pokhara hosted the second India-Nepal Tourism Meet on Thursday.

The event, jointly organised by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal Tourism Board and the Pokhara Tourism Council, focused on promoting tourism between two states–Uttar Pradesh of India and Gandaki Province of Nepal. The event also marked the International Year of Cooperatives.

Gandaki Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey welcomed the expanding tourism cooperation with India, highlighting destinations such as Pokhara and Muktinath as key destinations.

Rakesh Pandey, deputy chief of mission at the Indian embassy in Kathmandu, said improved connectivity was giving fresh momentum to cross-border tourism.

He stressed the need for joint efforts to fully realise the tourism potential of both countries, including through the promotion of religious and cultural circuits linking Nepal with neighbouring Indian states.

Dinesh Kumar, joint director of Uttar Pradesh Tourism, presented tourism circuits in the state, with a focus on the upcoming Magh Mela. He also shared Uttar Pradesh’s experiences in tourism policy implementation.

Nepal Tourism Board’s Chief Executive Officer 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 initiatives aimed at strengthening tourism ties between the two countries.

The event also featured a business-to-business session attended by around 10 delegates from India and 60 from Nepal. Discussions centred on promoting cross-border tourism, particularly via land routes, with tour operators exploring collaboration in areas such as Buddhist circuits, wildlife tourism and adventure travel, the Indian embassy said.