As the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nepal Tourism Board, I have been coordinating Nepal's participation in the world's largest tourism fair, ITB Berlin, for the past few years. This fair is an important platform for the global tourism industry, where tourism businesses, policymakers, investors and media representatives come together in one place.

More than 7,000 exhibitors, more than 100,000 visitors and representatives from about 170 countries participate in this fair, which is held in Germany every year.

For an emerging tourism destination like Nepal, this fair is not just an exhibition, but also an important opportunity to expand relations, find new collaborations and open up future possibilities. This year too, 31 tourism entrepreneurs from the private sector were preparing to participate along with the Nepal Tourism Board. Various bilateral meetings, destination presentations, interactions with media persons and a 'Nepal Promotion Evening' had been scheduled from 2 to 5 March 2026 (Falgun 18-21).

But this time there was a coincidence. On the last day of the fair, Nepal held the House of Representatives elections. With the idea of ​​balancing civic responsibilities and international responsibilities, I planned to complete both tasks. As per the same plan, I set off from Kathmandu on the morning of 16th Falgun. As per the plan, the goal was to come to Nepal by 11th Falgun and participate in the voting.

The plane that took off from Kathmandu on 16th Falgun at 9:10 am landed in Doha at 12:00 pm. The next flight from there to Berlin was at 3:45 pm local time.

At first, everything seemed normal. The well-organized environment and organized transit process at the international airport were making the journey easy. However, at around 2:00 pm, a tragic news suddenly spread. War broke out after the joint attack by the United States and Israel on Iran. The air route was temporarily closed.

The initial announcement of ‘some delay’ gradually turned into ‘all flights cancelled’. The flight closure time was gradually extended. The words ‘delay’ and ‘cancellation’ began to appear continuously on the airport’s digital display. Some time ago, hundreds of passengers who were excited to reach their destinations were suddenly affected by war. A crowd of passengers searching for news on their mobile phones and trying to sort out information and rumors spread on social media began to flock to the information counter. Where to stay, what to eat, how to be safe? What will be the visa situation? How to get luggage? Questions like these arose in the minds of all passengers.

About 10 hours passed in the hope that the airport would be operational. As the night deepened, the unusual tension in the atmosphere increased. Suddenly, a loud sound was heard from outside: Dam... Dam... Someone said that a missile attack was underway. The sight of the missile was not directly seen, but the sound of it created a tremor in my heart. I felt that world politics had suddenly turned into a personal experience.

The scenes of the Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Hamas battles came to mind. The scenes of explosions and stampedes seen on television and social media began to feel as if they were happening in the geographical environment where I was standing. It was the first terrifying experience of my life to be inside a safe structure like an airport and hear the echoes of war outside.

Being naturally reserved, more than excessive fear, a concern remained in my mind. I was worried about whether I would be able to reach the important meetings scheduled for Nepal on time.

Meanwhile, calls started coming in continuously from Nepal—from family, relatives, friends, and colleagues. Everyone had the same question, 'Are you safe?'

I patiently kept giving everyone the same answer, 'I am safe . The situation in Doha is not like what is shown in the media . Don't worry .'

Meanwhile, messages started coming in to the family WhatsApp group that my 11-year-old daughter Ivara created with her wife and eldest daughter, 'Stay safe . Don't go out . What is the situation now ?' These small messages touched my heart . The concern of a child's heart during a crisis made me emotional . 

I had fallen asleep for some time in the airport lounge . Suddenly, a Qatari employee woke me up and said that there had been a drone attack at Dubai Airport and preparations were being made to shift the passengers to hotels as there could be a risk here too .

I hurriedly reached the information desk . I had to wait in a long queue until 4:30 in the morning . Initially, a hotel voucher was given, but the news came that the hotel was full. Later, after re-coordination, arrangements were made to stay at a five-star hotel in the West Bay area of ​​Doha. Only at 9 am, I completed the immigration process through a special route and was brought out of the airport.

Since I usually travel light, I only had a laptop, program-related files, and a book in my hand bag. It was an uncomfortable experience not being able to change clothes for about 30 hours. After reaching the hotel, I washed and dried the clothes I wore. The next day, when a nearby shopping center opened, I went and bought two T-shirts, one underwear, one trousers, and a pair of socks to make my daily life a little easier. That was a small shopping experience. However, it made me deeply realize how important a clean cloth or a simple meal is.

Days passed. 1 day, 2 days, 3 days... Every morning the information from the airlines was the same, ‘New information will be given tomorrow.’

Thus, 12 days passed in a hotel in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Finally, on 27th Falgun, I landed in Delhi through a rescue flight operated by Qatar. From there, I returned to Nepal the next day, on 28th Falgun.

Those 12 days spent in Doha were not just days of fear and waiting. They were also days of observation, introspection and learning. The incident of the Iran attack made one important thing clear - tourism is not just about promoting a destination. It is also a combination of security, crisis management, diplomatic coordination and institutional credibility.

Before reaching the destination, tourists go through many systems such as flights, transit, visa, security and information. If any of these is weak, the image of the entire destination will be affected.