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Interaction program on NTY 2011 held
An interaction
program was organized on July 22, 2009 at Nepal Tourism Board to
discuss various issues relating tourism industry and Nepal
Tourism Year (NTY) 2011. Participated by the President of almost
all tourism related associations, the program was organized in
the presence of Hon'ble Minister for Tourism & Civil Aviation
Mr. Sarat Singh Bhandari.
President of the tourism associations appraised the Minister
Bhandari the difficulties faced by the private sector and the
role of private sector in making NTY 2011 a success. Minister
Bhandari speaking in the program stressed in the private sector
led mechanism for tourism development in the country. He further
said the priority of the budget is focused on accessibility and
marketing of the tourism products of the country. "Instead of
focusing on trivial issues, we should seek the holistic approach
to promote and develop tourism. Issues of developing and
promoting main tourism products including attraction resources
based in Terai area should be given due priority as the sector
has immense potential to attract tourists from far and wide", he
said on the occasion. Minister Bhandari said overnight change in
tourism sector is not possible, so effective plans should be
formulated to mitigate present challenge in tourism.
Talking about attracting tourist, Minister Bhandari said our
tourism promoting endeavors should be focused on our neighboring
markets-India and China. He explained the need to work together
in favor of NTY 2011 campaign in the changed context. During the
interaction program Mr. Ram Kaji Koney-President of Nepal
Association of Tour & Travel Agents (NATTA), Mr. Prasiddha
Bahadur Pandey- President of Hotel Association Nepal (HAN), Mr.
Jyoti Adhikari- President of Trekking Agents Association of
Nepal (TAAN), Mr. Basanta Mishra- President of Nepal Association
of Tour Operators (NATO) and other tourism entrepreneurs
expressed their views about NTY 2011 and stressed on the need to
provide working atmosphere for the private sector to play a lead
role in promoting tourism in the country and NTY 2011. Amidst
the function CEO of NTB Mr. Prachanda Man Shrestha deliberated
meticulously about the ongoing and prospective elements of
tourism promotion and its present status.
Nepalese Food festival held in Sri Lanka
The Embassy of Nepal in Sri Lanka, in association with Nepal
Tourism Board, organized a “Nepalese Food Promotion” festival at
the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo from 02 to 12 July 2009.
This is the first-of-its-kind program organized to promote Nepal
in Sri Lanka.
The 11-day fete was attended by over 1000 guests, including
nearly 200 special guests of the Embassy drawn from among
leaders of business community, tourism professionals, social and
political personalities and senior government officials of Sri
Lanka as well as ambassadors, high commissioners and other
senior diplomats based in Colombo.
Hon. Hussain Bhaila, Deputy Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka; Dr. A
T Ariyaratne, Founder President of Sarvodaya Shramadana
Movement; Mr. Nihal Rodrigo, former Secretary General of SAARC,
and many other eminent friends of Nepal in Sri Lanka attended
the event as distinguished guests.
Welcoming the prominent guests on various days of the fete, His
Excellency Durga Prasad Bhattarai, Ambassador of Nepal to Sri
Lanka, shed light on various aspects of food habits and food
items as well as music and crafts of Nepal, and expressed the
confidence that the event would help bring Sri Lankan people
closer to Nepal, and fuel their interest to visit Nepal several
times in future.
Chefs Yuba Raj Pokhrel and Shyam Krishna Nagarkoti of Hotel
Soaltee Crowne Plaza, Kathmandu, entertained the guests with a
wide range of authentic Nepali cuisine for dinner from 7.00 PM
to 11.00 PM everyday during the period. The Chefs were nominated
and supported for the purpose by the Hotel Association Nepal and
Nepal Tourism Board respectively.
The guests were also entertained with Nepali folk songs and
music by a group of artistes led by popular singer Bom Bahadur
Karki of Radio Nepal, at the invitation of the Embassy. The
team’s musicians Krishna Bahadur Gandharba (Sarangi), Chitra
Kumar Magar (Bansuri) and Udi Ram Khadka (Madal) added a
distinct Nepali tone to the event and remained a good part of
attraction throughout.
A continuous multimedia presentation on Nepal and a permanent
display of the ‘Nepal Tourism Year 2011’ banner and other
promotional materials supplied by Nepal Tourism Board and Nepal
Trade and Export Promotion Centre, enhanced the festival.
TIMS to be implemented from January 1
An agreement has
been signed between Nepal Tourism Board(NTB) and Trekking Agents
Association of Nepal(TAAN) with an objective of maintaining the
database of trekkers and discouraging illegal operation in
trekking business to implement the Trekkers' Information
Management System (TIMS) from 1st January 2008.
As per the provision, all trekkers should have the valid TIMS
Certificate that is distributed free of charge by the TIMS
counters of NTB and TAAN. Nepal Tourism Board will provide TIMS
Certificate free of cost to both trekkers who wish to go to
trekking through government registered trekking companies and
individual trekkers(FIT).
As per agreement, TAAN would use the offices of all its member
agents as TIMS Counter. Trekking agencies that aren't affiliated
with TAAN, however, have to get TIMS certificates from either
TAAN Secretariat or NTB. Similarly, TAAN's Pokhara Chapter
member agencies of TAAN Pokhara Chapter would distribute TIMS
Certificate in Pokhara.
It is believed that the database will become useful to rescue
the trekkers during the emergencies and it will also help us to
ascertain the number of trekkers in a particular trekking route.
TIMS Certificate can be obtained from NTB Office, Bhrikutimandap,
NTB Office Pokhara, Belahia-Bhairahawa, Gadda Chauki-
Mahendranagar, Kakarvitta and other designated counters by NTB
in future.
NTB should be empowered with more resources and means: Minister
Bhandari
Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Mr. Sarat Singh Bhandari
paid an official visit to Nepal Tourism Board on July 7, 2009
for orientation to comprehend the activities and programs
carried out by this Board. During his visit, Chief Executive
Officer of Nepal Tourism Board Mr. Prachanda Man Shrestha
apprised him about the activities, programs, and plans of Nepal
Tourism Board and constraints it faced. Minister Bhandari also
interacted with the officials of Nepal Tourism Board.
Addressing the officials of NTB, he said that Nepal Tourism
Board should play the role of coordinator of private sector and
government bridging gap between two for development of tourism
industry of Nepal. He further said that it is imperative to
empower Nepal Tourism Board, at this juncture, viewing the
massive work that has been entrusted to position the destination
image of Nepal. He realized the resource constraints faced by
this Board for carrying on gargantuan task of country promotion
amidst the financial recession and travel turbulence witnessed
in the world travel market. “Nepal Tourism Year 2011 is a
national program and in order to entrust the ownership of all
the individuals and agencies, to make it successful, all
district development committee should earmark at least some
percentages of its budget for tourism development in the concept
of "One District One Destination,” he opined. Lauding the
immense role NTB has to play in the days to come, and also to
meet the expectation of all, he suggested NTB get ready to
prepare itself to play the role of catalyst in between private
sectors and the government in course of finding new products and
making it reach to the international marketplace.
Govt. waives royalty for Mid and Far West Mountain peaks
In an attempt to promote Nepal for All Seasons, the Government
of Nepal has waived the climbing fee for all peaks of Mid and
Far Western Development Region of Nepal for five years,
according to a letter issued by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism
& Civil Aviation on April 29, 2008. The royalty for climbing
Everest and other peaks has been slashed by 75 per cent during
winter and rainy seasons and 50 percent during the autumn
season. The royalty for the spring season will remain the same.
Royalty for other 326 peaks over 6,500 metres that are open for
climbing have been slashed on a similar basis.
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