New hands at the helm: Hikmat Singh Ayer takes charge of Nepal Tourism Board
Veteran insider Hikmat Singh Ayer is the new officiating CEO of the Nepal Tourism Board after Deepak Raj Joshi's removal — debuting just as Nepal chases ASEAN markets in a record-breaking year.
There is new leadership at the top of Nepal's tourism promotion machine. Hikmat Singh Ayer has been appointed officiating Chief Executive Officer of the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), taking the reins at one of the busiest moments in the country's tourism calendar. A 25-year NTB veteran, he steps up after the removal of the previous CEO under a new government ordinance.
Key facts
- Hikmat Singh Ayer named officiating CEO of the Nepal Tourism Board
- More than 25 years inside the NTB across all major departments
- Replaces Deepak Raj Joshi, removed under a 2026 ordinance
- Debuted at the Himalayan Travel Mart 2026 in Kathmandu
The handover
Ayer was appointed by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation following the removal of CEO Deepak Raj Joshi under Nepal's newly issued Special Provision Ordinance on Removal of Public Office Bearers, 2026. He is very much an insider: over more than two and a half decades he has led every major department of the board and worked across destination marketing, policy and national and international tourism campaigns. He made his first official appearance in the role at the sixth Himalayan Travel Mart, the trade event that drew more than 600 delegates — including 100 international participants from 27 countries — to Kathmandu.
A record backdrop
The leadership change comes at a high point for Nepali tourism. The country welcomed roughly 1.16 million foreign visitors in 2025, and 2026 has opened even stronger: 92,573 international arrivals in January (up 15% year on year) and 105,441 in February (up 8.8%). India remains the dominant market, followed by China and the United States.
The strategy ahead
Ayer inherits a clear marching order: 2026 has been declared Nepal–ASEAN Tourism Year, a deliberate push to win more visitors from Southeast Asia through Buddhist and spiritual tourism, nature and adventure, wellness, and community-based travel. That pivot is already showing up in the air map — new direct routes such as Kathmandu–Shenzhen and the forthcoming Dubai–Pokhara service are exactly the connectivity the wider-Asia strategy needs.
What this means for you
Leadership at the tourism board rarely changes your trek directly, but the direction it sets — more flights, more markets, more promotion — shapes how busy the trails get and when. A stronger Asian push and a record arrivals pace point to fuller autumn and spring seasons ahead, which is the best argument we know for booking your dates early.
Source: Nepal Tourism Board; ETurboNews; The Himalayan Times.
Cover photo: Markus Koljonen (Dilaudid) via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Source: Nepal Tourism Board
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