Nepali tourism can do well amidst odds

"Promoting Nepal in terms of an adventure and sports tourism destination and identifying new tourist destinations can help the country's tourism sector to combat the repercussions of the global financial crisis," said Ramchandra Man Singh, secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA).

"Nepal is well positioned to woo tourists from South Asian and Middle Eastern regions. Better marketing strategies, increasing number of flights with more facilities to the tourist can give a whole new boost to Nepali tourism sector," he said while speaking at an interaction programme held in the capital on Sunday.

According to a recent UNWTO survey report, tourism flow in 2008 and in 2009 will be approximately equal or might decrease by two percent.

Some South Asian countries might see six percent increase. The Asia Pacific region will have four percent increase, with great fall in Europe and America, said Singh.

In 2007, the total tourist air arrivals stood at 5.27 lakhs, which was a growth of 37 percent compared to the year before while in 2008 the number was lower than expected.

In January, there was a total fall of 15.8 percent. In February, it was 16.2 percent while in March it became 17.6 percent. It was an average drop of 16 percent, according to Singh.

Nepal Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) president Ram Kaji Koney underscored the need of political commitment to prevent the sector from various political obstacles.

According to Koney, recent data of the past six months show there were a total of 45 days of curfew and 25 percent of roadblocks caused tourists to cancel visits to their desired destinations.

Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) president Jyoti Adhikari said that collaborative approach and tourist-friendly environment can result in a significant rise in tourist arrivals. nepalnews.com Apr 13 09