Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Basant Raj Mishra, one of the strong advocates of wildlife tourism in Nepal, passed away in Kathmandu on Sunday morning. He was 72.
He passed away at Norvic Hospital following complications from dengue fever and a subsequent stroke while undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit.
Mishra started his career in the tourism industry by working with Gorkha Travels. He subsequently joined Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge, situated inside Chitwan National Park. Convinced by the prospects of wildlife tourism in Nepal, he went on to open his own jungle lodge—Temple Tiger Jungle Lodge—inside Chitwan National Park. A few other tourism entrepreneurs followed his footsteps and opened similar properties inside the national park.
After the government decided to shut down these jungle lodges, Mishra relocated his property near the Narayani River in Nawalparasi district and rebranded it as Temple Tiger Green Jungle Resort. He later opened Temple Tiger Luxury Apartments in the tourist district of Thamel. He also operated a travel company named Venture Travel.
Mishra held several prestigious positions in the tourism industry, including leadership roles in the Nepal Association of Tour Operators (NATO) and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Nepal. He was the first Nepali to serve as Treasurer of the Central Committee of PATA. He was also a founding member of the Executive Committee of the Nepal Tourism Board and served as a board member of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.
He recently established the Jyanu-Basantraj Mishra Foundation to recognize contributions in forestry, environment, education, and journalism.
Mishra is survived by his wife, Jyanu, and son, Brajesh.
