The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Nepal Chapter, in collaboration with Kathmandu University School of Management (KU SOM), convened the Provincial Inception Meeting for the project “Developing Tourism Crisis Management Handbook for Nepalese Tourism Stakeholders” in Pokhara, Gandaki Province.

The meeting brought together a broad cross-section of stakeholders, including the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, Gandaki Province; Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Water Supply; Pokhara Metropolitan City; Province Policy and Planning Commission; Provincial Health Emergency Operation Center (PHEOC); Water and Meteorology Office; Tourist Police; Nepal Tourism Board (NTB); Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP); and representatives from Nepal’s tourism industry.

Participating tourism associations and institutions included the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA), Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN), Homestay Federation of Nepal, Tourism Entrepreneurs Women Association Nepal (TEWAN), Hotel Federation of Nepal, Restaurant and Bar Association of Nepal (REBAN), Nepal Tourism and Hotel Management College (NTHMC), Nepal Tourist Vehicles Association (NTVA), Women Tourism Entrepreneurs Forum (WOTEF), Trekking Equipment Shop Association (TESA), Pokhara Tourism Council, Hotel Association Nepal-Pokhara, Village Tourism Promotion Forum, Lekhnath Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry, United Community Nepal (UNICON), and representatives of the Swisscontact/Digo project. Their participation reflected the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in strengthening tourism crisis preparedness, coordination, communication, and resilience across Gandaki Province and Nepal.

The programme was honored by the presence of Hon. Phanindra Devkota, Minister, Gandaki Province Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Water Supply, and Mr. Roshan Gyawali, Secretary, Ministry of Industry and Tourism, Gandaki Province, alongside representatives of PATA Nepal Chapter, the project team, and key tourism stakeholders.

Discussions underscored the importance of coordinated crisis communication, clearly defined institutional roles, destination-level preparedness, tourist safety, responsible digital communication, and effective recovery mechanisms. Participants also highlighted the need to move beyond reactive responses towards a proactive, collaborative, and practical approach to managing tourism-related crises.

With support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the initiative seeks to translate stakeholder experiences and institutional knowledge into a practical, implementable handbook that strengthens crisis management capacities across Nepal’s tourism ecosystem.

PATA Nepal Chapter remains committed to fostering collaboration among government, industry, and development partners to build a safer, more resilient, and sustainable tourism sector in Nepal.