Bandipur Hosts Village Tourism Mart, Gorkha Named Next Venue
The Village Tourism Mart 2026 was inaugurated in Bandipur, Tanahun on Friday by Minister for Industry and Tourism Yashoda Rimal, with the four- day event drawing domestic and transnational tourism entrepreneurs, sleepover drivers from 11 sections of Gandaki Province, and community stakeholders in a drive to place Nepal’s pastoral tourism offer in the transnational request. The emporium, running from April 29 to May 2 in the hill city extensively known as the Queen of the Hills, was anteceded by a artistic rally through Bandipur Bazaar featuring 19 homestays representing the fiefdom’s pastoral tourism network. The event marks the first time a safari- style pastoral disquisition- visiting community homestays in Rumsi and Ramkot of Byas Municipality- 14, Tanahun- has been introduced as part of a formal tourism emporium in Nepal.Inaugurating the event, Minister Rimal said federalism had decentralised development and empowered original governments to shape their communities.” A strong vill forms the foundation of overall substance, and tourism is a crucial motorist in strengthening pastoral husbandry,” she said, expressing confidence the emporium would induce employment and income openings alongside artistic creation.
Nepal Tourism Board CEO Deepak Raj Joshi refocused to growing global demand for immersive, community- grounded trip gests and said Nepal must move decisively to capitalise on the trend.” It’s inversely important to pass on our traditional chops and indigenous knowledge to unborn generations,” he said, praising Bandipur Rural Municipality and mate organisations for the initiative.A significant advertisement at the event was the handover of the Village Tourism Mart flag to Gorkha Municipality, attesting that the coming edition will be held in Gorkha. Accepting the flag, Mayor Krishna Bahadur Rana Magar said the emporium would help restore Gorkha’s visibility as a tourism destination.” Historically significant Gorkha has been kindly overshadowed in recent times. This tourism emporium will help bring it back into the limelight,” he said.Bandipur Rural Municipality Chairperson Surendra Bahadur Thapa said enterprise similar as vill safari have proven effective in connecting excursionists directly to homestays and integrating pastoral circuits into the broader tourism offer.
