Govt clamps down on illegal travel agencies

Amid complaints that a large number of travel agencies are operating without the government´s due permission, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has started monitoring travel agencies operating in the Kathmandu Valley.

Officials at Tourism Industry Division under MoCTCA said they have started investigating such travel agencies four days ago. “In course of investigation many of the travel agencies in Thamel and Sinamangal areas were found operating without acquiring government´s permission,” said Purna Chandra Bhattarai, chief of the tourism industry division under MoCTCA.

Bhattarai said while four of the total 29 travel agencies in Thamel and 12 of the total 33 travel agencies in Sinamangal were found operating illegally. “We have initiated necessary legal action against the travel agencies operating without permit,” he said.

MoCTCA has summoned four illegal travel agencies in Thamel to furnish clarification while three such travel agencies in Sinamangal have already shut down.
As per the existing government legislation, a travel agency after duly registering at the Company Registrar´s Office needs acquire permit from the tourism industry division under MoCTCA. The travel agency concerned needs to show bank guarantee of Rs 300,000 to acquire MoCTCA permit.

According to MoCTCA, altogether 2,209 travel agencies are currently operating across the country. “We are monitoring if all the travel agencies operating have acquired government permission,” Bhattarai told Republica.

source: republica,4 July 2013