Himalayan Guides Pathivara Marathon 2010
Feb 9th: Himalayan Guides Pathivara Marathon is scheduled to be held on 12th Feb 2010 at Taplejung.The marathon is open for high altitude athletes abpve the age of 18 . The marathon covers 49 Kms, starting from Phunlin Bazaar (1824 m.) to Limbu cultural trail and up to Pathivara (3794 m.) and back again . The site of the event lies on the foothills of the Kanchenjunga peak.The event is organized by Himalayan Guides & Expeditions and promoted by NTB.

Skydiving License
Feb 8th: Earn your skydiving license in Thailand with ThaiSky Adventures. You have a choice of training methods to obtain a Skydiving License. (More)

Second AS 350 B3 helicopter joins Fishtail Air's Fleet
Feb 4th: The second AS 350 B3 helicopter was delivered to Fishtail Air at the Singapore Air Show amid a function organized by the producer of the chopper, Eurocopter. The seven-seater copter, kept on display during the air show was handed over to Fishtail Air's chairman Bikash Rana by Eurocopter's president Lutz Bertling.

National Industrial Fair and Tourism Festival
Feb 3rd: Rupandhehi district is hosting the National Industrial Fair and Tourism Festival from 4th to14th February. The festival will feature a rally taken out by participants wearing different traditional costumes and cultural shows.Handicrafts from the hilly and Terai regions including garments, Mithila art items, pashmina etc will also be showcased. There will also be a photo exhibition on Chitwan and Lumbini.

Nepal & Singapore sign ASA
Feb 3rd: Air services agreement between Nepal and Singapore was signed on 2nd February, 2010. The ASA allows air carriers of both countries to operate 28 weekly passenger services apart from 14 weekly cargo services . Nagendra Prasad Ghimire, Nepal's MoTCA Secretary, and Choi Shing Kwok, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Transport, Singapore signed the agreement on behalf of their respective countries.

Tourist Arrival in January 2010
Feb 2nd: Visitor arrivals in the month of January 2010 has been posted at 26,071, an increase by 18.8% compared to the same month last year. According to figures released by the Immigration Office, TIA the Asian segment has registered a positive growth of 15.4%, 34.9% from the European markets with arrivals from major generating markets such as the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland.Tourist arrivals from Australia, Canada and USA have also registered robust growth of 17.5%, 69.2% and 10.2% respectively.

Nepal at FESPO 2010, Zurich
Feb1st: Nepal participated at the recently held tourism fair in Zurich, FESPO 2010, from January 28th to 31st. The embassy of Nepal in Switzerland in partnership with non- resident Nepalis living in Switzerland represented the country at the fair.

Explore Himalaya at PATA's Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference
Jan 31st: Explore Himalaya is participating at PATA's Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart 2010 and Mart (1-5 February) at Soaltee Crowne Plaza in Kathmandu. Our company 's representative will be at Booth No.14. Please visit our stall to know more about our products & company.

Nepal at FITUR 2010, Madrid
Jan 26th: Nepal was highlighted as a premier tourist destination at the annual tourism fair FITUR held in Madrid , Spain from January 20th to 24th 2010.The five-day tourism fair was coordinated  by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and Nepal Association of Travel and Tour Agents (NATTA).A total of fifteen  travel trade companies of Nepal had participated in the fair.The fair saw interactions with tour operators, journalists, internet portals, travel televisions, travel magazines and the general public.NTB apprised them about the information and update about the tourism areas and services of Nepal. Nepal stall also offered tour packages and travel information to the visitors.

NTY 2011 seeks Diplomats' support
Jan 26th: NTB and Nepal Tourism Year -2011 Secretariat jointly organized a program in Kathmandu on January 22nd to promote Nepal Tourism Year -2011 among diplomats based in Nepal and to seek their support in making it a success.The program saw the participation of ambassadors of India, Russia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Japan, the Charge de' Affairs of European Commission among others.

Etihad voted Best Long-Haul Airline
Jan 25th: National flag carrier of UAE, Etihad Airways, was voted 'Best Long-Haul Airline' at the Business Travel Awards held in London on 23rd January. The award recognised the growth of the airline over the past 12 months as well as its continued investment in world-class products and excellence in customer service standards.

Dr. Arzoo Deuba to address PATA Conference
Jan 24th: Dr. Arzoo Deuba is going to make a key note address at next month's PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference in Kathmandu. Dr Deuba is a Member of the Constituent Assembly and Parliament of Nepal, representing the Nepali Congress Party since 2008. The PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference begins on 2 February at the Soaltee Crowne Plaza hotel, Kathmandu.

Air New Zealand bags 'ATW Airline of the Year 2010' award
Jan 24th: Air New Zealand has bagged the 'Airline of the Year 2010' award given by industry publication Air Transport World. The award was conferred taking into consideration Air New Zealand's sound financial performance during a difficult year and the organisation's innovative use of technology, cutting edge customer service and commitment to environmental research and protection.

NTY 2011 promoted at CMT, Stuttgart
Jan 24th: NTB in coordination with Nepal German Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Honorary  Consulate of Nepal in Stuttgart organised a press conference on January 19, 2010 at Caravan, Motors and Tourism International Fair ( CMT) in Stuttgart, Germany.The program was attended by the minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Mr. Sarat Singh Bhandari , ambassadar of Nepal to Germany Mr. Suresh Pradhan, Honorary Consul General of Nepal Mrs. Ann Katrin Bauknecht,  and renowned summitter Mr. Reinhold Messner. Minister Bhandari briefed on the government's commitments in promoting tourism of Nepal with the theme of 'Together for Tourism' under Nepal Tourism Year 2011 campaign. The Minister also lauded the efforts of people like Mr. Messner, for helping to reform the image of Nepal as an attractive destination .

AOC of 3 Airlines Cancelled
Jan 22nd: Civil Aviation Authority Nepal (CAAN), the aviation regulator of Nepal have cancelled the Air Operation Certificate (AOC)of three airlines – Yeti International, Cosmic Air and Impro Airways after they failed to renew their periodic license. The AOC were nullified from January 11 as per the Aviation Regulations, according to Civil Aviation Authority Nepal (CAAN), the aviation regulator.

Yeti International used to operate international flights while Cosmic Air used to fly in both domestic and international sectors. Impro, which ceased operation two years ago, had MI-17 helicopter for domestic chartered flights. Yeti International, which ceased its operation in April, last year, was promoted by Air Arabia and Yeti Airlines, a domestic carrier. According to CAAN's regulation, international airline companies must furnish a fee of Rs 1 million for renewal of their operating license, while domestic carriers need to pay Rs 200,000 to Rs 400,000 depending on the type of aircraft.

Macgillivray's 'Everest' Sequel in 3D
Jan 19th: Oscar-nominated and world renowned nature documentary filmmaker Greg Macgillivray is planning to make a sequel of his 1998 IMAX film, ‘Everest’, in 3D format. Titled ‘The Return to Everest’ this will be the first time a film crew will capture the mountain with Imax 3D technology. According to a report published in “The Himalayan Times”, the producers of the movie are looking for Nepali investors. (More in our blog)

Nepal at Vakantiebeurs Holiday Fair 2010
Jan 18th: Nepal Tourism Board along with 6 travel trade companies participated at the Vakantiebeurs Holiday Fair 2010 held at Utrecht, Netherlands from 12-17 January, 2010. The Vakantiebeurs Holiday Fair 2010  is the largest consumer travel fair and the largest trade event in the Benelux region (Belgium, Netherlands & Luxembourg).According to a press release issued by NTB, visitors at the Nepal stall inquired on safety, adventure tourism, tourism activities in Nepal, Nepal Tourism Year 2011 & air connectivity.

Boeing's Dreamliner completes initial air worthiness test
Jan 17th: On 15th January an initial airworthiness test was completed successfully on Boeing's 787 Dreamliner at Everett, Washington DC, making way for more crew members to take part in flights and more airplanes to join the flight test program. Built using advanced technology 787 Dreamliner uses 20 percent less fuel than today's airplanes of comparable size, provide airlines with up to 45 percent more cargo revenue capacity and present passengers with innovations that include a new interior environment with cleaner air, larger windows, more stowage space, improved lighting and other passenger-preferred conveniences.

Nepal Stall bags award at TTF , Chennai
Jan 14th: Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) along with private travel companies participated at the Travel & Tourism Fair in Chennai from January 8 -10. ‘Nepal Tourism Year 2011’ was highlighted during the fair through interactions, interviews and visual displays in Nepal’s stall. Much interest was garnered by pilgrimage tours to Pashupatinath temple, Muktinath temple and pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar via Nepal.Nepal’s stall bagged the “Most Integrated Presentation Award”.

Airbus delivers 498 aircrafts in 2009
Jan 13th: According to a report by AP, Airbus delivered a of total of 498 aircraft in 2009 beating Boeing's score of 481( announced last week) and making it the world's largest planemaker. Airbus on Tuesday reported record deliveries of 498 aircraft in 2009, above its 2008 tally of 483.

Meeting on budget allocation for NTY 2011 held
Jan 13th: The third meeting of the Nepal Tourism Year 2011 main committee was held on 12th Jan 2010, where issues relating to the utilisation of the budget allotted for the tourism sector for NTY 2011 was discussed. At the meeting it was decided that Rs 20 million budget for the fiscal year 2009-10 will be mobilised for the operation of Sagarmatha Day.Sagarmatha Day will be celebrated with a conference of Everest summiteers, official inauguration of NTY 2011 and international and national tourism promotion of NTY 2011.

Indian Government grants Tourist 'Visa-On-Arrival'
Jan 8th: The Indian government have decided to grant “VISA ON ARRIVAL” to foreign nationals from five countries: Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore from 1st January 2010.  The maximum validity is for 30 days with single entry facility. According to a press release issued by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, the step has been taken to facilitate tourists who plan their tours to India at short notice. The visa shall be granted by the Immigration Officers at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata airports.

More Tourists visit Nepal in 2009
Jan 6th: According to Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) a total of 378,12 tourists visited Nepal in 2009, up from 374,661 registered in 2008. The aggregate tourist arrival from Asian segment, other than South Asia, posted a growth of 10.1 percent in 2009. Arrivals from European countries registered an overall growth of 4.5% in 2009.

Formal launch of NTY 2011 on February 2010
Jan 4th: The official launch of Nepal Tourism Year 2011 will take place on February 26th at Tundikhel. According to the Nepal Tourism Year (NTY) 2011 secretariat the program will include a peace torch rally from Lumbini to Kathmandu and rallies from six different places in the valley. Leaders of all political parties, government officials and private sector professionals will gather at Tundikhel, Kathmandu during the formal declaration to express their commitment to make the tourism year a success.