Trekking entrepreneurs seek budget to explore new routes

Trekking entrepreneurs have urged the government to include tourism as one of the priority sector in the upcoming budget and allocate sufficient funds for exploration of new destinations.

Saying that most of the political parties have mentioned tourism, agriculture and hydropower as three main pillars for economic development, they have requested the government to allocate more budget for the sector as the sector was neglected in the previous budgets.

Trekking Agencies´ Association of Nepal (TAAN) has urged the government to increase financial support for building teahouses in new routes like Syafrubesi-Ganesh Himal- Manaslu, Khaptad-Rara-Jumla, Jumla-Dolpa and Taplejung-Kanchenjunga Base Camp- Dhankuta.

“The government is always focusing on trekking areas like the Everest Region, Annapurna Region and Langtang. There are many areas in the country having huge tourism potentials,” Keshav Pandey, senior vice president of TAAN and managing director of Mountain Leaders Treks, told Republica. “The government should allocate budget to promote such areas so that we can bring more tourists to the country.”TAAN has requested the government to allocate budget for renovation of temples and other structures in UNESCO World Heritage sites. It has also asked the government to arrange land to develop tourist bus parks at major places in the Kathmandu Valley.

Ramesh Prasad Dhamala, president of TAAN, said his association has asked the government to allocate budget under the heading ´sanitation and tourism´. “Under the program, we will give responsibility to conduct clean-up programs to tourism workers during off-season,” Dhamala said, adding, “TAAN, Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) and unions of tourism workers can manage the program.”

Trekking entrepreneurs have also demanded with the government to remove permit system in controlled trekking areas. “As mostly youths, who are budget tourists, come for trekking in Nepal, permit fee for controlled areas is expensive for them. We request the government to remove the permit system so that we can provide service to more tourists," Mahendra Singh Thapa, managing director of Equator Expeditions, said.

TAAN has also asked the government to allocate funds for the construction of Mountain Adventure Schools in all five development regions and provide scholarships to children of tourism workers in those schools.

“We have asked the government to strictly implement ´no trekking without guide/porter´ system,” Dhamala said, adding, “We have also asked the government to allow us implement Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS) into Trekking Registration Certificate (TRC) model.” Saying that TIMS should be implemented under one-window system from TAAN, Dhamala said revenue generated from TIMS can be jointly used by TAAN and government for tourism development.

Trekking entrepreneurs have demanded with the government to develop necessary infrastructures like road, trekking trails and bridges in areas having tourism potentials. They have also called upon the government to promote far-western region which has abundant tourism potentials.

“The government should allocate more budgets to develop infrastructure, expand fleet of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), promote new destinations and for human resource development,” Sagar Pandey, managing director of Himalayan Glacier Treks, said. He also asked the government to reduce taxes on import of tourist vehicles so that tourists get service at cheaper rates.

Trekking entrepreneurs´ Demand
• Build teahouses in new routes
• Allocate budget for ´sanitation and tourism´ program
• Earmark fund for renovation of temples and historical sites
• Remove permit system in controlled trekking areas
• Implement ´no trekking without guide/porter´ system
• Establish Mountain Adventure Schools in five development regions

source: republica,11 june 2014