TAAN to promote Nepal for all seasons

With the objective to promote tourism in Nepal round the year, trekking agencies are introducing new trekking routes for monsoon. Entrepreneurs are jointly promoting short treks during this period which they hope will help the industry to survive during the lean period.

Trekking Agencies´ Association of Nepal (TAAN) has asked agencies to come up with new packages which can be feasible in rainy season. Gangasagar Pant, CEO at TAAN said agro-tourism can be promoted during this season to attract more tourists. “During rainy season our farmers are busy in paddy plantation, the traditional way of agricultural system can be a unique tourism product,” said Pant.

Officials at TAAN said they were planning to promote the newly developed route in international media as well so that Nepal can be a popular destination throughout the season.

Krishna Raj Bhattarai of Trekking Encounters said utilization of monsoon season could encourage entrepreneurs who are suffering because of low turnover. “The unauthorized handling of tourist by middleman is hitting the business hard,” he said the total earning of the industry in Nepal Tourism Year (NTY) 2011 was equal to the earning of 2002. “In situation like this, promoting our packages in lean period is important to revive the industry,” he said.

The period between June and August is considered as off-season in the tourism business particularly for trekking because of the rains.
Pant said it was justified for the entrepreneurs to shut down the business for three to four months in a year in the past as the number of trekking agencies was low and there was no tough competition. “The scenario has changed now with more than 800 agencies listed under TAAN,” he said new business idea was necessary to bring in more trekkers into the country.

Entrepreneurs said they were positive about developing a short trek packages for monsoon season in the area like Shivapuri, Bandipur, Nagarkot, Kakani and so on.

source: republica,23 June 2012