Nepal Communist Party lawmaker Yogesh Bhattarai was on Wednesday appointed the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
Bhattarai was administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari at Sheetal Niwas, the President's house.
The post of the tourism minister had been lying vacant since the demise of Rabindra Adhikari, who was killed in a chopper crash in Taplejung district on February 27.
The appointment comes ahead of the Himalayan nation commemorating 2020 as the Visit Nepal Year to promote tourism. The ambitious campaign has a target of attracting two million tourists.