Tourism secretary urges to promote tourism

Tourism entrepreneurs have said that there should be collaboration between tourism entrepreneurs and the press as the role of press for the promotion and development of tourism is important.

They expressed the view at a programme organized here on Sunday to mark the second general assembly of the Journalist’s Association for Tourism (JAT)-Nepal, an association of journalists working in the tourism sector. Inaugurating the general assembly, Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Sushil Ghimire, urged the tourism journalists to disseminate the truth and factual news of the tourism sector as there will be negative impact in the sector due to the wrong and misleading news for tourism being a sensitive business.

Ghimire said that it is sad for the tourism sector not to appoint chief executive officer at the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and not to bring aircraft by the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC).He also assured to take initiative to this effect. On the occasion, Ghimire released a souvenir published by the JAT- Nepal.

Speakers on the occasion, also expressed the view that media houses should disseminate information and news by giving importance to mountain tourism, as there would be easy and extensive publicity of important tourism sites in the international arena through online news.

Tourism entrepreneurs stressed that there will be improvement in quality in the tourism sector if media houses provide positive criticism and suggestions on the weaknesses and malpractices seen in the sector.

They also assured that tourism organizations will always collaborate with the tourism journalists.

Jimma Jambu Sherpa, Chairman of the Nepal Mountaineer's Association, Chairman of the Nepal Rafting Association, Nanikaji Thapa, Chairman of the Nepal Tour Operators' Association, Ashok Pokhrel, tourism experts Divya Aang Chhiring Sherpa and Prachandaman Shrestha, among others, expressed their views on inseparable relations between tourism entrepreneurs and tourism journalists.

source: The Himalayan Times, 27 Jan 2013