IGLTA Foundation partners with Pacific Asia Travel Association for conference scholarship

The IGLTA Foundation has partnered with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) to provide a unique opportunity for a tourism student from Nepal to attend the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Ass

The IGLTA Foundation has partnered with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) to provide a unique opportunity for a tourism student from Nepal to attend the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Associationโ€™s 34th Annual Global Convention, set for 4-6 May in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Bishrut Raj Pokhrel has been selected to attend the conference, which is considered to be the premier educational and networking event for the global LGBTQ tourism industry.


โ€œIGLTAโ€™s Building Bridges Scholarship program is a cornerstone initiative of the Foundationโ€™s work as we look to developing passionate and deserving individuals who will be tomorrowโ€™s hospitality leaders with a firm focus upon promoting LGBTQ tourism,โ€ said Gary Murakami, CMP, CMM, Chairman – IGLTA Foundation Board of Directors. โ€œWe value our strategic partnership with a leading organization on travel and tourism such as PATA and we appreciate its support to the IGLTA Foundation.โ€

Bishrut Raj Pokhrel is working on his bachelorโ€™s degree in international hospitality and tourism at Silver Mountain School of Hotel Management (affiliated with Queen Margaret University) in Kathmandu, Nepal. The conference scholarship provides an all-expenses-paid trip and conference registration to the event.

โ€œBeing able to attend the IGLTA annual global conference and learn about LGBTQ tourism through first-hand experience is a wonderful opportunity for a student like me who is aspiring to lead in the hospitality and tourism industry,โ€ said Pokhrel. โ€œComing from a developing country, where society is largely conservative, people need to be made aware about the issue of LGBTQ tourism. The convention will give me a broader vision in understanding this aspect of tourism and how I can help LGBTQ tourism develop in my country.โ€

This is the fifth year the IGLTA Foundation has offered its Building Bridges Scholarship Program to tourism students and small business owners, but it is the first time the non-profit has collaborated with another organization on the project. IGLTA and PATA formed a partnership in 2015 and the application process for this joint sponsorship was open to students attending educational institutions that are PATA International members.


โ€œAs the Association focuses upon the development of young tourism professionals within the region the scholarship provides the perfect opportunity for Bishrut Raj Pokhrel to broaden his horizons and gain a deeper understanding of gay and lesbian tourism, which is a significant segment of the global tourism market,โ€ said PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy. โ€œOur partnership with the IGLTA is a perfect example of a partnership that works to establish bridges for people of goodwill from all countries and create deeper understanding and empathy across borders.โ€

The IGLTA Foundation Building Bridges Scholarship Program was created to support the next generation of LGBTQ travel professionals (and allies). Scholarship recipients participate in the entire IGLTA convention program, ensuring they will have the opportunity to network with travel industry leaders from around the world, receive mentorship from professionals in their areas of interest and attend educational sessions.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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