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Tourists' Security Main Challenge: Minister

Friday - 28th September 2007

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Prithvi Subba Gurung, said on Thursday that 'ensuring security of the tourists' is the main challenge facing Nepal\'s tourism sector at present. He was speaking at a programme organised by the Society of Tourism and Environment Journalists (STEJ-Nepal) in the capital on the occasion of the World Tourism Day.
Commenting on 'challenges and possibilities' in Nepal's tourism industry, Minister Gurung said, "Ensuring security of our guests, who are terrorised by the ongoing political activities, is one of the main challenges facing this sector." "We have to look for new possibilities and do away with old policies that are now obstructing the tourism sector's growth." He also laid emphasis on 'pilgrimage tourism' and said a lot of tourists are now diverted to other SAARC and Asian nations due to these countries' more relaxed policies.
Madhav Prasad Ghimire, secretary of the MoCTCA, said, "The most important thing is that there is no significant difference of opinion among the stakeholders in this sector, and that is why new possibilities can be explored." By labelling tourism sector most crucial for economic growth, he said, "We must capitalise on our biodiversity, cultural heritage, and other places of significance to take tourism to a greater height."
The main challenges, according to Ghimire, are infrastructure development, developing religious sites and building private-public partnership.
Speakers from the private sector were of the view that the government must play a facilitating role and relax the tax system to attract more tourists. "The government must focus on present difficulties and relax its rules. At a time when the government has not even been able to make the TIA more organised, what is the point of talking about 50 or 60 years plans," Jyoti Adhikari, president of the Trekking Agents' Association of Nepal, told THT. On the other hand, Surendra Bir Malakar, president the Nepal Chamber of Commerce, stressed the need to attract more Chinese tourists as China has placed Nepal on the list of places to visit. He added, "Product development packages have to be developed and authorities concerned have to move ahead with commitment."
Speakers were of the view that political instability, rising pollution in the capital and elsewhere and increasing number of bandhs and strikes are hampering the tourism sector. Ang Tsering Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, said that the main challenge is "how to deal with the competition with the neighbours."
Global warming, creating a one-window system and seeking new trekking routes are other challenges, according to Sherpa.
Prakash Shrestha, president of the Hotel Association of Nepal, said that tourism can
contribute to 'financial stability' and 'employment generation' at home.
The World Tourism Day was also celebrated throughout the country with the slogan of "Tourism opens doors for women." The MoCTCA gave away prizes to people and institutions, who have helped develop tourism in Nepal. At a programme organised at the Nepal Tourism Board on Thursday, the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) was awarded for bringing home a maximum number of tourists and for reaching out to the rural areas. Yeti Travels was awarded for being the highest foreign currency earner and the best tour operator. Radisson hotel was declared the highest foreign exchange earner in the five-star hotel category, whereas Himalaya Hotel and Summit were awarded in the four-star and three-star categories respectively.


Source The Himalayan Times