In a landmark collaboration for Nepal’s tourism and digital economy, TikTok and the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) successfully concluded a three-day Travel Content Creation Workshop in Kathmandu from June 24 to 26, 2025. The initiative, held under the flagship #VisitNepal campaign, trained 360 local tourism professionals – from trekking guides to hospitality entrepreneurs – in the art and strategy of digital storytelling.
This is more than a training program. It is a signal that Nepal is ready to compete in the global creator economy – on its own terms, in its own voice.
What Happened: Workshop Overview
The Nepal Tourism Board and TikTok co-organized a three-day workshop in Kathmandu, bringing together 120 participants per day – totaling 360 attendees – from across Nepal’s tourism ecosystem. Participants included:
- Tourism entrepreneurs and small business owners
- Professional trekking and mountaineering guides
- Travel content creators and digital storytellers
- Hospitality operators from across Nepal
The workshop was inaugurated by Mr. Hikmat Singh Ayer, Officiating CEO of Nepal Tourism Board, with key remarks from Mr. Sunil Sharma, Officiating Director of NTB, and Ferdous Mottakin, Head of Public Policy and Government Relations, South Asia, TikTok.
What Participants Learned: Key Workshop Topics
The curriculum was designed to bridge the gap between Nepal’s extraordinary tourism assets and the global audiences waiting to discover them. Sessions covered five core skill areas:
- Short-Form Video Content Creation: Mastering TikTok’s format – vertical video, hooks, pacing, and storytelling within 15 to 90 seconds.
- Audience Growth and Engagement: Strategies to build and sustain a loyal follower base through consistent content, community interaction, and algorithm-aware posting.
- Digital Storytelling Techniques: How to authentically capture Nepal’s landscapes, culture, food, and adventure experiences in ways that resonate globally.
- Brand Collaboration Strategies: Frameworks for tourism businesses and creators to attract and work with travel brands, tourism boards, and sponsors.
- Responsible and Sustainable Content Development: Ethical storytelling practices that respect local communities, preserve cultural integrity, and promote sustainable travel.
Why This Matters: Nepal’s Tourism Meets the Creator Economy
Global travel discovery has fundamentally shifted. Travellers no longer rely solely on guidebooks or travel agencies – they rely on creators. A 30-second TikTok video of a rhododendron trail in the Annapurna region can reach millions of potential visitors who have never heard of the destination. A passionate local trekking guide sharing an authentic sunrise from Poon Hill has the power to inspire bookings, change travel itineraries, and reshape perceptions of Nepal overnight.
Nepal holds extraordinary assets: the world’s highest peaks, ancient temple towns, living cultural traditions, rare wildlife, and some of the most diverse trekking corridors on Earth. Yet for years, the storytelling of these treasures has been largely driven by foreign creators and international travel media. The NTB–TikTok initiative marks a decisive shift: it invests in the local voice.
“Content creators are playing an increasingly important role in inspiring travel and connecting audiences with destinations around the world. A primary objective is to nurture local talent and equip them with the skills required to become professional content creators, thereby supporting the growth of the digital economy.”
– Mr. Sunil Sharma, Officiating Director, Nepal Tourism Board
The Strategic Vision: Digital Nepal and Tourism 2.0
TikTok’s partnership with NTB is not a one-off event – it reflects a strategic alignment between Nepal’s national tourism promotion goals and the platform’s role as a global travel discovery engine. TikTok Travel is now one of the most powerful organic discovery channels for international tourism. In markets like Southeast Asia, South Korea, and increasingly South Asia, travel bookings are directly influenced by TikTok content.
For Nepal, this represents a dual opportunity:
- Tourism Promotion: Reaching new global audiences in key source markets – India, China, the US, UK, Australia, South Korea, and the Gulf – with authentic, creator-driven content that no advertising budget alone can replicate.
- Economic Empowerment: Building a new generation of professional content creators who can monetize their skills through brand collaborations, platform revenue, and digital tourism services – contributing to Nepal’s growing digital economy.
Ferdous Mottakin, Head of Public Policy and Government Relations, South Asia, TikTok, captured this vision: “From breathtaking destinations and unique travel experiences to local cuisines and cultural traditions, TikTok has transformed the way people discover and experience the world around them. We are excited to partner with the Nepal Tourism Board to empower local tourism businesses, creators, and communities with digital storytelling skills, helping them share Nepal’s extraordinary beauty and rich heritage with audiences around the world.”
What Nepal Has to Offer the World’s Screens
For international travellers discovering Nepal through digital content, here is what awaits:
- Adventure & Trekking: The Everest Base Camp trail, Annapurna Circuit, Langtang Valley, Mustang, and dozens of off-the-beaten-path routes that rival any adventure destination on Earth.
- Cultural Heritage: Seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley alone, including Pashupatinath Temple, Boudhanath Stupa, Swayambhunath, and the ancient cities of Bhaktapur and Patan.
- Wildlife and Nature: Chitwan and Bardia National Parks, home to one-horned rhinos, Bengal tigers, Gangetic dolphins, and over 650 species of birds.
- Food and Gastronomy: From Newari feasts to mountain dal bhat, high-altitude yak cheese to Kathmandu’s thriving cafe scene – Nepal’s food culture is a largely untold story on global platforms.
- Festivals and Living Traditions: Dashain, Tihar, Indra Jatra, Holi, and hundreds of local festivals that turn Nepal’s streets into living cultural spectacles every season.
What Comes Next
The conclusion of this three-day workshop is a beginning, not an end. Nepal now has 360 more individuals equipped with the tools, techniques, and confidence to represent their country on the world’s most influential short-form video platform. Each of these creators is a potential ambassador – for their route, their village, their cuisine, their craft.
For Nepal’s tourism industry, the strategic opportunity is clear: invest in the creator layer. The country that tells its story best wins the tourist.
