The Koshi Province Inception Meeting for our ongoing project “Developing Tourism Crisis Management Handbook for Nepalese Tourism Stakeholders” was successfully held on 30 October 2026 in Soaltee Westend Hotel Itahari, Koshi Province. The project is being implemented by PATA Nepal Chapter in collaboration with Kathmandu University School of Management (KUSOM), with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
The programme was hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Forests and Environment, Koshi Province with an honored presence of Mr. Krishna Prasad Sapkota, Secretary, Ministry of Internal Affairs & Law, Koshi Province; Dr. Indra Prasad Sapkota, Secretary, representative of the project team; Mr. Toya Prasad Khatiwada of the Province Planning Commission; and key tourism and disaster management-related stakeholders.
The discussions focused on reflecting on current practices of tourism crisis management, and opportunities for strengthening better institutional coordination for improving preparedness, emergency response mechanisms, and recovery to enhance the resilience of Nepal's tourism sector. Representatives from the province including Hotel Association Nepal, Nepal Association of Tours and Travel, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FNCCI) - Koshi and tourism experts discussed and presented prominent issues in the development and management of tourism in the province and possible way forward.
We highly appreciate the active participation of representatives of the following institutions and stakeholder groups in the program:
Government and Public Institutions:
Ministry of Tourism, Forests and Environment, Koshi Province; Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law; Ministry of Social Development; Ministry of Health; Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers; Province Planning Commission; Provincial Forest Directorate; and Tourism Offices in Dharan and Kakarbhitta.
Disaster Management and Security Agencies:
Nepal Police, and Armed Police Force (APF) Nepal.
Tourism Associations and Private Sector:
PATA Nepal Chapter, NATTA Koshi, VITOF Nepal, Hotel Association Nepal – Koshi, Hotel Federation, Hotel Entrepreneurs Federation Koshi, District Hotel and Tourism Entrepreneurs Association Sunsari, Hotel Professional Association Koshi, Tourism Forum Jhapa, and representatives of the hospitality and tourism industry.
Conservation, Environment and Natural Resource Institutions:
Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), NTNC Koshi Conservation Center, and the Office of Hydrology, Dharan.
Academic and Knowledge Institutions:
Purbanchal University, Aspire College, Premier College, and Imperial College.
Media and Development Partners:
Nepal Television, Tourism Journalists Forum, online media representatives, Disaster Preparedness Network (DPNet) Nepal, and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
This inception meeting marks the beginning of close engagement in Koshi Province to co-develop a comprehensive, practical, and stakeholder-driven Tourism Crisis Management Handbook for Nepal.