GAINDAKOT, Nov 20: The National Sustainable Tourism Club (NSTC) Gandaki Province Level Capacity Building and Destination Promotion Program has been organized in Gaindakot with the objective of making students active in tourism education, leadership development and sustainable tourism promotion.

Principals, teachers, club coordinators, student representatives from 10 schools and colleges along with Mayor of Gaindakot Municipality Madan Bhakta Adhikari and representatives of Education Unit were present in the program organized at Hotel Illa Comfort on November 3 and 20.

The event is being organized in partnership with TRTI, Nepal Tourism Board and Sustainable Tourism Project (STP)/UNDP in collaboration with GTTP Nepal and Gaindakot Municipality.

In the program, training and interaction were held on the operation of the club, student leadership development, sustainable tourism, destination promotion and opportunities for the youth in the tourism sector. Madan Kumar Baral, Director of GTTP Nepal and Chairman of TRTI, and Prem Kumar Danuwar, Tourism Trainer, facilitated the program.

In the session ‘My Tourism Journey’, tourism expert Dr. Ramji Sharma, Principal of NTHMC Prakash Regmi and General Manager of Hotel Illa Comfort Pradip Neupane informed the students about their experiences, opportunities and challenges in the tourism sector.

On the occasion of the program, the country’s 158th National Sustainable Tourism Club was formed at Gaindakot English School. The participants also made an on-site visit to Maula Kalika Temple and Hotel Illa Comfort.

In the last session of the program, the NSTC Gandaki Roadmap 2027 was prepared and the Gandaki Declaration was released. In the manifesto, priority has been given to regular operation of clubs, institutional collaboration, student leadership development and community-based sustainable tourism.

Program Director Saroj Pyakurel said the capacity building programme would be conducted in Pokhara or Arjun Chaupari rural municipality in the coming days by incorporating other clubs of Gandaki Province.

The NSTC campaign aims to develop the youths as responsible tourism campaigners by involving them actively in the protection of tourism, environment and heritage, and promotion of local destinations.