BHAIRAHAWA: Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Khadak Raj Paudel has pledged to bring Gautam Buddha International Airport into full regular operation without further delay, saying Nepal cannot meet its target of attracting one crore tourists without activating both the Bhairahawa and Pokhara airports and connecting them to international destinations.

Paudel made the commitment while inaugurating a Wellness Awareness and Wellness Tourism Promotion Program organised by Tranquility Spa in association with Spa Association Nepal and endorsed by Nepal Tourism Board, held at Siddhartha Vilasa in Bhairahawa on June 19.

The minister said delays at the airport stemmed from policy-level shortcomings rather than political or diplomatic obstacles, and that these were now being addressed. He called stronger tourism promotion essential to realising Nepal's tourism ambitions, and described wellness tourism as central to the country's overall tourism offering.

Spa Association Nepal President Suresh Puri used the occasion to flag a structural gap in the wellness sector: training institutes for spa and wellness professionals in Nepal are not receiving formal government affiliation, meaning graduates lack government-verified certification. Puri argued that official recognition would bring training under established protocols and make Nepali wellness professionals more competitive in the hospitality sector internationally.

The program, organised in the context of Nepal's ongoing Wellness Tourism Year, brought together government officials, tourism industry leaders, wellness professionals, and business communities to promote wellness tourism in Lumbini Province, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha.

Tranquility Spa, which has operated for over 18 years and trained more than 3,500 individuals through its academy, opened its latest outlet at Siddhartha Vilasa as part of an expansion from Kathmandu into Chitwan, Pokhara, and now Lumbini Province.