Hotel Association Nepal demands enhanced coordination

Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) has forwarded a proposal to the Tourism Industry Division to work together to build a proper mechanism for the hotel sector.

“We have forwarded a proposal to the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation

to develop coordination between the Tourism Industry Division and HAN,” said an official of the association and also informed that it has been more than a year since the association forwarded the proposal.

Due to the lack of sufficient manpower and a proper mechanism, the division has failed to carry out its responsibilities on time. “We have made a proposal to the ministry to appoint HAN as an optional entity that can also cooperate with the division during registration and licence renewal of hotels.”

According to the association, it has urged the government to link it up with the division to jointly carry out plans and programmes related to the hotel sector. “Neither the government nor the Tourism Industry Division under the ministry has an exact data about the number of hotels,” the source said.

The official also said that the division has also failed in the timely renewal of the registration of hotels. The main reason behind it is the lack of a proper follow-up mechanism. “The division does not have a proper information channel and informs about the renewal only after a gap of several months.”

The ministry recently directed tourism businesses to get its registration renewed and also directed illegal businesses to get registered in

accordance with the prescribed laws. There are a number of tourism related businesses that are operating without a licence and the government through a public notice has directed them to legalise their businesses

at the earliest.

The Tourism Industry Division on March 30 had directed tourism entrepreneurs to renew their licences. “If the tourism businesses fail to renew their license now, the government may scrap their operating licence,” states the division.

There are 10 five-star, 2 four-star, 25 three-star, 40 two-star and 30 one-star hotels in the country, but none of them have renewed their operating licence. There are 549 non-star hotels and 151 home-stays in operation.

source: The Himalayan TImes, 20 may 2012