Not many in Nepal have heard of the famous Turkish actor Engin Altan Düzyatan, and before his current visit to the country he did not know much about Nepal either – except for Mt Everest.
Düzyatan is on a whirlwind tour of the country sponsored by the Nepal government which is trying to kick-start tourism again as the danger of the Covid-19 pandemic fades.
“I am very excited to be in Nepal, see the Himalaya and meet the people in Kathmandu and Pokhara. I am glad to see that Nepal is open again for tourism, and people have started coming back,” Düzyatan said on arrival at Kathmandu airport on Monday.
The actor starred in the Netflix hit Barbaros as well as other Turkish blockbusters like Diriliş: Ertuğru. Düzyatan is passionate about environmental protection, and has taken up removing ocean waste and providing safe drinking water in poor countries as a cause. He is very well known in Pakistan because of the popularity of his films there, and he is helping a charity in Lahore.
On Tuesday, he flew to the popular tourist destination of Pokhara where he has a hectic program of sightseeing, including a sunrise view over the Annapurnas.
“Nepal is just so beautiful everywhere you look,” Düzyatan said. “I am very excited and am going to tell all Turkish people that they should visit Kathmandu and Nepal.”
On Thursday, the Turkish celebrity will go sightseeing in Thamel and attend a reception in the evening hosted by Nepal’s Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation Prem Ale. Düzyatan is accompanied by his film director and producer as well as his Turkish friends, Mehmet Koruturk, the grandson of the 5th president of Turkey Fahri Koruturk who is associated with The Atlantic Council.
On Friday, Düzyatan will take a sightseeing flight to the base of Mt Everest.
“We are very glad to have such a famous person as Engin Altan Düzyatan here in Nepal, and it is part of our effort to revive tourism in Nepal, especially from places like Turkey which is so easy to travel from because of direct flights,” says Raja Ram Giri of the Tourism Revival Committee.
Turkish Airlines flies four times a week directly between Kathmandu and Istanbul with connections to destinations around the world. It is the only European airline serving Kathmandu, and plans to resume daily flights as Nepal’s tourism picks up after the pandemic.
“We hope news of the visit by such a famous actor will promote Nepal as a destination in Turkey with which there is a direct flight between Kathmandu and Istanbul,” said Turkish Airlines manager for Nepal, Abdullah Tuncer Kecici.
Indeed, Nepal’s stunning mountain scenery could also provide a backdrop for Turkey’s vibrant film industry as a location for shooting future series. This year, Bollywood actors and producers spent more than a month shooting the upcoming film Uchai in the Khumbu, Manang and other locations.
Read more: Amrita Acharia comes home, Sewa Bhattarain
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