Announce Visit Nepal-2010, Hotel Association Nepal asks Government, Nepal tour packages, Nepal Tour

Announce Visit Nepal-2010, HAN asks Government

Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) asked the government to announce Visit Nepal-2010, the second tourism campaign for boosting the numbers of tourists coming to Nepal. “The huge success of 1998 as Visit Nepal Year has fired HAN and it wants 2010 to be announced as Visit Nepal Year. It is hoped that an estimated one million tourists will visit Nepal that year”, HAN representative said in a meeting with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) at his official residence in Baluwater Kathmandu.

HAN also demanded that the government, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and private organizations start promotional campaigns and develop infrastructure in a bid to bring a millions tourists in coming year 2010.

“If a million tourists visit Nepal in 2010, it will accord employment to about nine million people as the tourism sector has a spiral effect on the economy,” said New HAN president Prasidha Bahadur Pandey. Pandey urged the PM to formulate long and short-term plans for developing tourism and recognizing it as an industry.

“Data shows one tourist employees nine person directly and indirectly,” Pandey said adding that tourism contributes 17.11 per cent to the GDP.

“Nepal Airlines should be revamped and five new aircraft should be added with the private sector’s involvement,” he said adding that the country’s sole international airport, Tribhuvan International Airport, should be upgraded. He urged for starting construction of airports in Pokhara and Bhairahawa with private sector help build, operate and transfer (BOT) system.