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NTB has no info on tourist arrivals since July

KRITI BHUJU
 It is very surprising to know that neither the Immigration Office at Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) nor the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) maintain data of tourists visiting Nepal.

The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), which is responsible for compiling data from TIA, has not maintained the records of tourists visiting Nepal after July. Earlier, NTB released the data of tourists arriving in the country.

However, the data on tourist arrivals cannot be received as NTB had not been able to collect and compile data in the last few months. “As NTB has been entrusted with compiling the data, we have not kept the record of tourist arrivals,” said Govinda Bahadur Karki, chief of Immigration Office at TIA. He however said that the office has collected disembarkation cards.

According to Karki, the contract with NTB ended last fiscal year and the delay in renewing the contract has also delayed compilation of data on tourist arrivals.

“It is impossible for us to collected data of the total tourist arriving at TIA. However, individual airlines have maintained the data of tourist arriving via their airlines,” said Bharat Kumar Shrestha, president of Airlines Operators´ Committee- Nepal (AOC-N).

Tourism entrepreneurs under the group Joint Tourism coordination Committee (JTCC) staged protests at NTB for almost two months since April and this, according to NTB, affected their work.

Kashi Raj Bhandari, director of monitoring and planning department said lack of head at NTB, protests by the private sectors and delay in releasing budget has hindered data compilation work.

“Staffers at TIA counter, who collect disembarkation card from tourists, are outsourced by NTB and as the board could not pay them, the data collection works could not be carried out,” said an official at NTB requesting anonymity.

Bhandari said disembarkation cards have been collected every day but counting has not been made. “We will soon begin the process of counting the cards and release the data within a few weeks,” said Bhandari.

source: republica,13 Nov 2014