Tourism pioneer Khanna passes away

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Aug 11 : Jyoti Lal Khanna, founding member and treasurer of the Nepal chapter of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), has passed away.

As per a press statement issued by the chapter, Khanna, who was a well-known name in the Nepali tourism and hospitality sector, passed away at the age of 83 in New Delhi 

Tuesday night.

Khanna, born in Lahore in 1939, came to Nepal in 1960 and began working as the manager of Hotel Coronation in Dilli Bazaar. In 1968, he joined Yeti Travels and is credited with making it one of the largest tour and travel agencies in South Asia.

As one of the initiators of PATA Nepal, Khanna introduced the 50 paise per head contribution campaign in the Association. Under this, tourism businesses were encouraged to contribute 50 paise per tourist handled to raise funds for the 

Nepal chapter.

As stated in PATA Nepal’s release, Khanna had received many awards and recognitions including PATA’s Pioneer of the Pacific Award in 1976 and 

Nepal’s Prabal Gorkha Dakshin Bahu (Fourth), Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents’ Sagarmatha Award, and Travel Media Forum’s Tourism Promotion Award 

in 1997.