Veteran tourism entrepreneur Jiswan Tuladhar has officially announced her candidacy for the position of President of the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) for the 2026–2028 term. Backed by more than 25 years of professional experience in Nepal’s tourism industry and over 15 years of dedicated service within NATTA, Tuladhar says her candidacy is driven by a commitment to transform decades of experience into strong institutional leadership.
Describing tourism not merely as a profession but as her life’s purpose, identity, and responsibility, Tuladhar said her vision is to build a more transparent, inclusive, accountable, and results-oriented NATTA that effectively represents the interests of its members while contributing to the sustainable growth of Nepal’s tourism industry.
Tuladhar began her tourism career as a sole proprietor at a time when female participation in Nepal’s tourism business was still limited. Through perseverance, professionalism, and integrity, she successfully established herself in the industry while continuously contributing to the broader development of Nepal’s tourism sector. Believing that industry service is as important as business success, she has remained actively involved with NATTA since 2010, serving in various leadership positions over the past fifteen years.
Her passion for tourism extends well beyond business. In 2016, she completed a solo trek to Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) and was honored as a “Nepali Traveler” in recognition of her achievement. She also made history as Nepal’s first international lady driver, representing the country in international motor driving competitions held in Thailand, Indonesia, and France, proudly carrying Nepal’s flag on the global stage.
According to Tuladhar, her fifteen-year journey within NATTA has provided invaluable experience in institutional governance, policy advocacy, public-private collaboration, and member engagement. Having witnessed Nepal’s tourism industry navigate natural disasters, political transitions, economic challenges, and the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, she believes these experiences have reinforced an important lesson: leadership is not about holding a position-it is about accepting responsibility and delivering meaningful results.
Jiswan Tuladhar’s Election Agenda
Presenting her vision for the next two years, Tuladhar has outlined a comprehensive agenda aimed at strengthening NATTA as a dynamic, member-driven, and internationally respected tourism organization.
Her key priorities include:
- Establishing transparent, accountable, and results-oriented institutional leadership.
- Strengthening member-focused services and improving organizational governance.
- Organizing regular tourism roadshows in key source markets, particularly India and China.
- Expanding Nepal’s participation in major international travel fairs and tourism exhibitions.
- Further strengthening the Buddhist International Travel Mart (BITM) while supporting additional international tourism events hosted in Nepal.
- Making domestic tourism one of NATTA’s strategic priorities following its significant growth in the post-pandemic period.
- Recognizing and encouraging tourism entrepreneurs who provide outstanding services to domestic travelers.
- Advocating for tourism-friendly policies through stronger collaboration with the Government of Nepal.
- Creating greater opportunities for young entrepreneurs, emerging investors, and experienced tourism professionals to work together.
- Expanding professional capacity-building programs, digital transformation, and international networking opportunities for NATTA members.
- Promoting sustainable, responsible, and community-based tourism practices.
- Diversifying Nepal’s tourism offerings by promoting wellness tourism, adventure tourism, family holidays, honeymoon tourism, cultural tourism, Buddhist tourism, and other high-value travel experiences.
Tuladhar emphasized that Nepal’s tourism strategy should not focus solely on increasing visitor numbers but rather on attracting high-quality visitors who stay longer, spend more, respect local culture, and contribute meaningfully to local communities. She believes Nepal has the potential to establish itself as one of the world’s safest, most welcoming, and most diverse tourism destinations.
Addressing the issue of women in leadership, Tuladhar stated that her candidacy is based not on gender but on experience, competence, vision, integrity, and a proven commitment to the tourism industry. She believes that diverse leadership strengthens institutions, encourages innovation, and leads to more inclusive decision-making.
Concluding her announcement, Tuladhar said that meaningful transformation cannot be achieved by one individual alone. However, with a capable, honest, and forward-looking team, she believes NATTA can become a stronger institution, more effectively represent the voice of tourism entrepreneurs, and contribute to taking Nepal’s tourism industry to new heights.
“The time has come to transform experience into leadership, leadership into results, and results into a brighter future for Nepal’s tourism industry.”
She also called upon NATTA members to place their trust in her vision, expressing her commitment to building “a stronger NATTA, empowered tourism entrepreneurs, and a more prosperous Nepal.”