Panel to cut on suggestions to restructure NTB

Private sector in the tourism industry is all set to forward draft of recommendations to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) Restructuring Committee to bring about necessary changes in the NTB, the statutory body that looks after development, expansion and promotion of Nepali tourism sector.

According to the private sector, the committee should ensure scientific representation of private sector in the NTB.

“More than ten associations are working in close coordination to prepare a list of recommendations which will be forwarded to the Nepal Tourism Board Restructuring Committee,” said one of the representatives from the private sector association.

Some of these private associations include: Hotel Association Nepal, Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents, Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal, Nepal Mountaineering Association, Himalayan Rescue Association, Nepal Association of Rafting Agents, Nepal Association of Tour Operator and Pacific Asia Travel Association, among others.

In order to enhance the capacity of the Nepal Tourism Board, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has formed a committee under the coordination of Purna Chandra Bhattarai, joint secretary at the ministry.

The MoCTCA has given three week’s time to the committee to forward possible recommendations for NTB’s restructuring.

One of the biggest concerns of tourism associations is the traditional manner in which the board is functioning.They, therefore, say it needs to cope up with the present requirement of tourism industry.

NTB was established in 1998 as a partnership between the government and the private sector to develop and market Nepal as an attractive tourist destination globally.

source:the himalayan times,23 July 2013