NEPAL TOURISM WON PATA GOLD AWARD

Why in the News?

  • The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) won the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award for Sustainable Tourism for its Livelihood Recovery Project (STLRP).
  • This marks the third PATA award for NTB, highlighting its ongoing commitment to community-based tourism across Nepal’s seven provinces.
Source: UNDP

Project Achievements

  • Sustainable tourism: STLRP has been recognized for creating employment and promoting sustainable tourism across all seven provinces of Nepal.
  • Job Creation: Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the project has generated short-term jobs for 10,000 tourism workers and provided training for 4,000 individuals.
  • Previous success: Previous awards include recognition in 2022 for Tourism Destination Resilience and in 2023 for initiatives in women’s empowerment, sustainability, and social responsibility.

Other Awardees

  • Kerala success: Kerala Tourism from India also won the PATA Gold Award 2024 in the Digital Marketing category for its “Holiday Heist” online contest.
  • Award Ceremony: The awards were presented on August 28 in Bangkok, Thailand, by PATA, a non-profit organization promoting responsible tourism in the Asia Pacific region.
About Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)

  • Founded: Established in 1951, headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand.
  • Type: Non-profit membership association focused on responsible travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific region.
  • Services: Provides advocacy, research, and innovative events to over 800 member organizations.
  • Membership: Includes 95 tourism bodies, 20 airlines and airports, 102 hospitality organizations, 70 educational institutions, and over 100 young tourism professionals worldwide.