KATHMANDU: Balloon Nepal, the only company in Nepal offering hot air balloon flights, participated in the ‘Singha Park Chiang Rai International Balloon Fiesta’ in Thailand.
Balloon Nepal’s President Bikram Bade and Director BB Dhakal attended the five-day event, which took place at Singha Park in Chiang Rai, Thailand, on February 14-18, 2024.
The festival saw the launch of 80 balloons, including 20 commercial and 60 mini balloons. Participants from 12 countries, including Nepal, took part in the fiesta. Dhakal shared that the national flags of 20 countries were displayed on various balloons, with the Nepali flag featured on one of them.
The event that concluded on Sunday hosted different competitive games daily, according to Dhakal. To honor the pilots and balloon crews involved, a ‘Nepali Night’ was organized on Sunday evening by Balloon Nepal, featuring a dinner where pilots and crew were honored with Nepali Dhaka caps, traditional food, and Buddha statues as gifts.
Dhakal highlighted the importance of such events in promoting Nepal, expressing satisfaction at the opportunity to showcase that Nepal has hot air balloon activities. He mentioned that the festival provided a platform to correct the misconception about Buddha’s birthplace, informing attendees that Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal, to an audience that included as many as one and a half million people.
Dhakal also stressed the potential for attracting tourists from various countries to similar events in Nepal and expressed interest in organizing a ‘balloon glow’ program in Nepal, inspired by the one held in Thailand.
This participation marks the first time a Nepali company has joined an international balloon festival, according to Dhakal.
The event, hosted by Thailand’s Flying Media, also featured local cultural performances and attracted a total audience of 1 million people over the five days.