The 59th Annual General Meeting of the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) and the election of the new executive committee are scheduled for this Friday. For the leadership of NATTA, three separate panels led by Jiswan Tuladhar Shrestha, Yubika Bhandari, and Bharatjung Pandey are competing in the election. All three panels have made public commitments prioritizing the elevation of the tourism industry as a key pillar of the national economy. Kathmandu, 24th Shrawan.
Established in 1966, NATTA, the umbrella organization for tour and travel operators in Nepal, is set for a three-way leadership contest. The association’s 59th Annual General Meeting and the 25th executive committee election will take place this Friday. The three candidates for leadership are Jiswan Tuladhar Shrestha, Yubika Bhandari, and Bharatjung Pandey, each heading distinct panels vying in the electoral race. This time, the competing groups have all placed the objective of making tourism a central foundation of Nepal’s economy at the forefront of their agendas. The current NATTA president is Kumar Mani Thapaliya. This election will determine the leadership and executive committee for the term 2026 to 2028.
A panel led by Senior Vice President Jiswan Tuladhar Shrestha has been announced for the upcoming NATTA leadership race. Campaigning under the slogan “Strong Leadership, Secure Business, and Prosperous Tourism,” this group unveiled a 12-point election manifesto on Saturday. The panel pledges to transform NATTA into a strong, inclusive, transparent, technology-friendly, and business-oriented institution. Encouraging new-generation tourism entrepreneurs is also a key priority for this group.
Yubika Bhandari, currently serving as General Secretary of NATTA’s executive committee, is contesting the leadership as well. Managing Director of Sashij Holidays International Travel and Tours Pvt. Ltd., Yubika’s panel is running with the slogan “Tourism rises, Nepal rises.” With over two decades of experience in tourism, she has served multiple terms on the NATTA committee. Her panel commits to giving equal priority to business operators outside the Kathmandu Valley.
The panel led by Bharatjung Pandey is also in the electoral fray. Pandey, Managing Director of Everest Miracle Travel and Tours, champions the slogan “NATTA Transformation.” This panel’s core mantra is “Empowered NATTA, prosperous tourism with and for members.” It emphasizes good governance, transparency, and active member participation.
