AP, Nepal Set To Promote Tourism Of Mutual Interest

Visakhapatnam: Eight years after the Ministry of Commerce notified Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) as the second gateway port to ferry its cargo after Kolkata Port, the Embassy of Nepal and tourism stakeholders in Andhra Pradesh have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) here to explore tourism of mutual interest.

Many people from AP travel to the Himalayan country to see Kathmandu, Pokhara and other places of historical importance. There is also demand by the traders of Nepal to open its Central bank branch in the city along with a consul office to enhance the bilateral trade as evacuation of Nepal-bound cargo from Visakhapatnam Port to the Himalayan country has been found to be time-saving with a competitive freight advantage compared to Kolkata Port.

The MoU was signed among Ambassador of Nepal to India Dr Surendra Thapa, Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), Andhra Pradesh Tourism Forum (APTF) and the Tours and Travels Association of Andhra (TTAA) here. This was the first MoU that the Nepal Government has signed with any State in India.

A senior official of APTDC told Bizz Buzz that the MoU will promote and develop tourism between Nepal and Andhra Pradesh, increase cooperation and collaboration, share knowledge, expertise, and resources to achieve common goals and enhance the overall travel and tourism experience for visitors.

It will also facilitate exchange of information and data on tourism trends, market research and industry developments, and hold joint marketing and promotional activities to promote tourism between Nepal and Andhra Pradesh, and facilitation of business-to-business (B2B) meetings and networking opportunities between travel industry stakeholders.

The initiative was taken by TTAA in association with AP Chambers and APTF and Embassy of Nepal, who also held a seminar on “Tourism opportunities in Nepal- visit Nepal 2025.”