NTB board approves budget

The board meeting of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) on Tuesday approved a budget of Rs 570 million.

The meeting that took place after more than three months has approved the budget for marketing, publicity, product development and research, said one of the board members.

The board has approved a budget of Rs 120 million for marketing, Rs 60 million for publicity, Rs 80 million for product development, and Rs 20 million for research, and the remaining for other necessary programmes.

However, the meeting has still not finalised a subcommittee to move ahead with the process to select a chief executive. “The meeting

on Tuesday only focused on the budget,” said the board member. “The next meeting will continue with formation of a new subcommittee, which will restart the chief executive selection process.”

Earlier, first board meeting, after reinstatement of its board members, had decided to use 25 per cent of the budget of 2011-12. Though the budget is lower than estimation, plans and programmes are made based on total budget approved for NTB’s activities for 2012-13.

Last fiscal year, the board had a budget of Rs 380 million. “With the approval of the budget we are now in a comfort zone to move ahead with regular programmes,” said director and spokesperson at NTB Aditya Baral.

“New budget has a provision for consumer-to-consumer marketing under which it will restart its destination promotion programmes on CNN and BBC,” he said, adding the board has allocated Rs 20 million for consumer-to-consumer marketing strategy.

source: The Himalayan Times,14 Dec 2012