Nepal to focus on Indian, Chinese markets to revamp tourism

Kathmandu, March 26

''We will develop cheap packages and concentrate on the regional markets in order to attract more tourists as Nepal prepares to observe "Nepal Tourism Year 2011," Tourism Minister Yami said.

Nepal's Maoist government today announced that it will focus on regional markets including India and China to revamp its tourism industry, in order to minimise the effects of global economic crisis.

"We will now focus on tourism campaigns in Indian cities and the Chinese market," Tourism Minister Hisila Yami said announcing the new tourism policy of the Himalayan nation.

In January and February this year, Nepal had 15 to 16 per cent negative growth in the overall tourist arrival by air, which is mainly attributed to the global recession, Mumbai attack and political crisis in Thailand, according to tourism experts.

The impact of global crisis was already visible in the arrival figures in 2008, which saw just 4 per cent increase as compared to previous year. However, in 2007 the tourist arrival figure saw 35 per cent growth in normal situation, the minister said.

Nepal is being developed as active economic zone instead of seeing it as a buffer zone between India and China, Tourism Minister Yami said.

"We will develop cheap packages and concentrate on the regional markets in order to attract more tourists as Nepal prepares to observe "Nepal Tourism Year 2011" to attract one million tourists, just double of the current figure, the minister pointed out.

Highlighting the new tourism policy, Yami said, village tourism and home stay tourism will be promoted, adventure tourism will get special attention and health and education tourism will also be developed as new concepts.

"To attract more Indian tourists, pilgrimage tourism will be given special focus in the coming days."

Nepal Tourism Board has recently launched special package campaign in Delhi and North Indian cities in order to attract more Indian visitors and another campaign is scheduled to be launched in Mumbai soon after national flag carrier Nepal Airlines commences direct flights between Mumbai and Kathmandu from March-end, Tourism Secretary Ramchandra Man Singh said.

Keeping in view the convenience of the visitors, Nepal government has included passenger service charge and tourist service charge in the air-ticket itself instead of charging separate amount effective from March 1, Singh said.

"Nepal Airlines will hire a new Boeing 757 to expand its capacity in international flight and an negotiations have already started with an American company," he pointed out. Nepal has recently signed Air Service Agreements with Bahrain and Sri Lanka to expand its air services and Air Service Agreements signed with India and Qatar will be reviewed in the near future in order to increase the air seat capacity in international sector, he added.

President of Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) Prashiddha Bahadur Pandey said that due to the impact of global recession, many hotel occupancy in January and February months witnessed a decline of 25 to 30 per cent.

The government has also announced to provide Rs 10 per litre subsidy in diesel price and waived demand surcharge in electricity bills to hotel industries same as to other industries to provide relief from the economic recession.

Source: Press Trust of India