NTB, Rakuten ink deal to pomote tourism

KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 27: The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has signed an agreement with Rakuten Viber, a popular free calling and messaging app, to promote Nepal’s tourism. NTB's Chief Executive Officer, Deepak Raj Joshi, and Kshitu Risal, Business Development Manager and Country Representative for Nepal at Rakuten Viber, lately inked the deal.

The agreement states that the board’s official Viber platform, NepalNow by NTB, will facilitate daily communication and dissemination of tourism updates and information among stakeholders in the tourism industry, tourists, the general public, and Nepalis across the globe.

This channel will also be used to exchange the latest news and updates about various tourist destinations across Nepal, new products, packages, activities, and experiences. During the partnership period, tourism promotion campaigns and sticker packs will also be launched.

Joshi expressed optimism that this collaboration with Viber would contribute to promoting Nepal’s tourism. “Viber is a very popular platform. We are confident that it will increase Nepal's visibility as a tourist destination and help diversify our products and experiences. We plan to create a dynamic network by engaging travel bloggers, content creators, tour operators, and travelers for complementary and cross-cutting communication," he said. " In this digital era driven by exchanges and AI, using such popular platforms will be essential to engage our audience in a more personalized and meaningful way,” Joshi said.

David Tse, Senior Director of APAC at Rakuten Viber, emphasized the platform's commitment to supporting Nepal’s tourism industry over the past few years. “Our partnership with the Nepal Tourism Board marks an important milestone in our commitment to promoting Nepal as a must-visit destination,” he said.

Tse added that their goal is to showcase Nepal’s stunning landscapes and unique experiences through their platform. He also noted that Rakuten Viber is the most popular communication app among Nepali consumers and recently partnered with six different government bodies in Nepal over the past six months.