New year brought good news for tourism sector of Nepal. Two more international airlines Oman Air and Spirit of Manila will launch their flights from March 2010, making it total of 25 international operators. Nepal is gearing up for ambitious promotion of ‘Nepal Tourism Year 2011′ addition of international operators will definitely help to bring in more tourists.

Secretary of Ministry of Toursim and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) Narendra Prasad Ghimire states that as there is a total of 25 airlines there wont be any problem of air accessibility and current total seat capacity is 21.5lakh which has reduced the air accessibility problem. Likewise, Khanal of TIA said as TIA is expanding its infrastructure there wont be any congestion.

Source: Everest Journal

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) participated in (Vakantiebeurs) “Holiday Fair 2010″ held at Utrecht in the Netherlands from 12-17 January, 2010. According to an estimate, between 120,000-130,000 travel enthusiasts visited the fair.

Around 800 exhibitors from 70 countries participated in Holiday Fair 2010. The Vakantiebeurs Holiday Fair 2010 is the largest consumer travel fair and the world’s largest trade event in the Benelux region. The main theme of the Holiday Fair 2010 was “Meet the locals” where the visitors had opportunities to meet with exhibitors and have first hand information.

During the fair, NTB organised a multimedia presentation for the visitors regarding overall Nepal’s tourism products and Nepal Tourism Fair.

Nepal was highlighted as a premier tourist destination at the FITUR fair 2010 held in Madrid of Spain from January 20 to 24, with the slogan ‘Naturally Nepal, Once is not enough’.

The five-day fair was coordinated by Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and Nepal Association of Travel and Tour Agents (NATTA).

NTB interacted with tour operators, journalists, internet portals, travel televisions, travel magazines and the general public. Prominent travel media were also invited to Nepal for providing publicity coverage to the Spanish market.

Nepal’s stall offered tour packages and travel information to visitors. Some 15 travel trade companies of Nepal participated in the fair. With special facilities in terms of providing Spanish tour guides and aggressive marketing initiatives, Spaniards are sure to rate Nepal as one of their favourite destinations. Most younger generation Spaniards make travel plans
well in advance and preferto go to eastern countries with exotic culture like Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and India.

With Qatar Airways, Thai Airways, Arkefly flying to Kathmandu via Doha, Bangkok and Amsterdam respectively and additional access points from Spain to India, Nepal receives around 14,000 Spanish tourists yearly.

Source: http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullTodays.php?headline=Spain+focus+on+Himalayas&NewsID=223733

Panauti, a small town located 35 km Southeast of Kathmandu, found in the central regions of Nepal. Panauti is a very historical city found in Nepal, as it was originally a small state given by King Bhupitendra Malla as a dowry to his sister. This town has a population of under 10,000 people and a few prominent icons, such as the Indreswor temple and Durbar square found in the town center. At the end of the 13th Century, Panauti was finally integrated into the unified kingdom of Nepal, along with Kathmandu, Patan, and Bakthapur, which are all former capital cities of the Kathmandu valley. Panauti, consists of a variety of Buddhist and Hindu religious monuments, and is considered to be one of the area’s most important medieval sites.

Panauti, situated at the confluence of the two rivers Rosi and Punyamati, has been regarded as an important religious site since very early times. In Nepali society, such river scared places. A visit or just an ablution in such places enables man to be freed from many sins and anxieties. Moreover, it is also believed that at Panauti, in addition to aforesaid two rivers, a third river Lilawati also converges making it again a tri-junction called Triveni. However, the last one is said to be visible only to the sheers and the intellectuals. The presence of this at Panauti has added and remarkably enhanced its religious sanctity and popularity as well. On account of this, every festive occasion, a great number of devotees from all across the country pour here for a holy ablution and to pay haomage to the nearby Indreshwor Mahadev Temple and other holy sites located here. The site is also regarded as Prayagtirtha of Nepal.

Bibahapanchami is one of the very greatest festivals of the Hindus. It falls on the fifth day of the Marga bright fortnight (DEC.). Lord Ram and Sita mother were wedded on this day in the silver age. Lord Ram was the son of Ayodhaya’s king Dasharath and Sita was the daughter of Mithila’s king Janak. King Janak had a very strong, heavy and powerful how presented him by Lord Shiva. No one in the world had the capacity to lift it. He used to worship it everyday keeping it in his worshipping room. One  day, he saw his daughter sita lifted that Bow very easily while she was cleaning her father’s worshiping room. King Janak became very much surprised to look his daughter’s divinely strength; so he decided to arrange his daughter’s wedding with that powerful man only who could lift and break the heavy divine bow in future.