KATHMANDU: The government has formed a new body by merging the Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management (NATHM) and the Nepal Mountain Academy (NMA), aiming to streamline tourism education and training.

The new institution, named the "Nepal Academy of Tourism, Hotel and Mountaineering", abbreviated as "NATHM", was established through a gazette notification published on April 23.

The new committee, formed under the Development Committee Act 2013 by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, will be responsible for developing and running educational and training programmes for the tourism and hospitality sector, including hotels, mountaineering, trekking and travel agencies.

The committee will be chaired by the ministry secretary and will include as members the joint secretaries of the Finance Ministry and the Education, Science and Technology Ministry, the joint secretary of the National Planning Commission, the Director General of the Department of Immigration, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nepal Tourism Board, the chairpersons of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal and the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents, the president of the Hotel Association of Nepal, one woman nominated by the government from among experienced individuals in mountain tourism, and the Executive Director as member-secretary.

The committee's mandate covers formulating and implementing policies, regulations and codes of conduct for the institution; conducting research, surveys and studies relevant to the tourism industry; running practical training programmes for hotel and tourism students in restaurants, lodges and travel desks; establishing linkages with domestic and foreign universities; recommending the opening of new peaks for mountaineering; and coordinating across the tourism industry to ensure cohesive development.

The Executive Director, to be appointed from among senior civil servants of the first gazetted class, will serve a four-year non-renewable term and will be responsible for day-to-day administration, budget management and quarterly, half-yearly and annual reporting to the committee.

All assets, liabilities, businesses and rights previously held under the Nepal Tourism and Hotel Management Committee and the Mountain Training Development Committee are automatically transferred to the new institution. Permanent staff of both predecessor bodies will be absorbed into the new structure at equivalent ranks, while contract employees and trainers may continue for the duration of their existing agreements.