Govt to hold tourism year annually

Biratnagar: The government has adopted a plan to celebrate tourism year annually focusing on different districts each year in order to promote tourism potential of all 75 districts of the country, said Tourism Minister Lokendra Bista Magar.

Magar, inaugurating the eastern tourism fair in Biratnagar on Thursday, said that such a plan has been adopted with an aim to lure investment into the districts to give a boost to their business activities and tap their tourism potential.

“We will observe tourism year every year till 2020,” said Magar, adding that the ongoing Lumbini Visit Year was part of that plan. “By 2020, we will cover all 75 districts through similar promotional campaigns,” he said.

Minister Magar also said that the government was committed to promote the tourism industry through public-private partnership. He expressed the government´s commitment to improve security and law and order situation. But at the same time, he urged the hoteliers and other travel trade entrepreneurs to focus more on raising the standard of their services and maintain their own service units clean and attractive.

“Tourists wherever they are in Nepal should feel secure. But the incidences of looting and cheating still occur,” said Magar.

Highlighting the importance of tourism, State Minister for Tourism Dilip Maharjan said that the development of Nepal was possible only if the country aggressively tapped its hydropower and tourism potentials. He mainly laid emphasis on the promotion and growth of rural tourism.

Eastern tourism fair held in Biratnagar is first of its kind in the region. It is organized by Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).

The fair that will continue till Saturday has the participation of travel and trade entrepreneurs from all 16 districts of the region. Altogether there are 30 stalls promoting various tourism destinations, food and cultures, dresses and lifestyles of people living in the region.

Various packages are on offer for domestic as well as foreign tourists, providing them opportunities to travel to popular sites of the region at affordable rates.

source: republica, 22 March 2012