Yogesh Bhattarai, the charismatic leader from the ruling Nepal Communist Party, has been appointed as the new Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation following an oath of office and secrecy from President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Wednesday afternoon.

Bhattarai, 52, who was elected from Taplejung, has been overseeing the publicity department of the party, and has often appeared as a critic of the policies put forward by the KP Sharma Oli administration.

The ministry had been vacant after Rabindra Adhikari died in a helicopter crash in Taplejung on February 27. Since then, the ministry's portfolio was with the prime minister.

The ministry is seen as one of the most important portfolios in the current administration as the country inches towards the launch of its Visit Nepal 2020 campaign. The campaign, which aims to bring two million tourists to the country, has been marred by delays and controversy, which many have attributed to the absence of top leader at the tourism ministry.