NTY promotion at Indian border cities

Nepal Tourism Year (NTY) 2011 Coordinating Committee -with an aim to bring 3,00,000 Indian tourists -is going to start its promotional programme at the Indian border cities.
"We are set for the promotion programme at Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Raxual, Sitamadi, and Sunauli and other places at the Nepal-India border cities," said Dhruba Narayan Shrestha, coordinator of tourism sector at the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and a member of NTY 2011 working committee.

For the promotion of NTY 2011, the committee has already made feasibility study of bordering cities. The study has been done at 10 different border points of Nepal, Shrestha said adding that to facilitate the visitors Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) along with private sector will develop a one window system at the border area.

"For all the visitors, we are planning one window system at different border points that will facilitate Immigration, Custom, Transportation Office, Food court, Nepali Handicraft Exhibition Centre and other facilities required for tourist when they reach the border points," said Shrestha.

The study has been made on border points like Birgunj, Biratnagar, Bhairahawa, Kakarbhitta, Dhangadi, Pashupati Nagar, Janakpur and Nepalgunj. It is expected to provide cross border facilities for tourist and visitors on reaching the border points. "We are setting up to attract around 3,00,000 Indian tourists and 1,00,000 Chinese tourists for the year 2011," he said.

On an average some 35,000 Chinese tourist visit Nepal annually. In April, there has been sustained growth of 45.3 per cent in China visitors as China is one of the fastest growing tourist markets for Nepal. Similarly, visitors' arrival from India -which is the largest source market for Nepal -has registered sustained growth since the beginning of 2010 but it witnessed a soft decline by 2.6 per cent in April.

Tourism is one of the largest industries in Nepal which is the largest source of foreign ex change and revenue.

Shrestha said that the sup port given to tourism sector from the Maoist during their general strike is quite appreciating though the strike has hit the tourist arrivals.

"The strike and bandhs will have less impact on Indian tourist as they can even make bookings and reservation 15 days or a month before but in case of tourists other than In dia, the bookings are done six months or a year earlier," he sid adding that "therefore Indi an tourists are in focus for the year 2011.

With a surge in the arrival of Indian tourist number, Indian Airlines is also on its way to start its flights to Kathmandu.

According to the tourism en trepreneurs, Indian tourists are quality tourist with high purchase capacity. Indian tourists spend 40 per cent more than tourist coming from other countries.

With three Indian airlines Indian Airlines, Jet Airlines and Kingfisher Airlines -a total of 57 flights land at the Trib huwan International Airport.

With the most advanced infra structure among urban areas in Nepal, Kathmandu's econo my is tourism centric account ing for 3.8 per cent of the GDP in 1995-96 that declined since then due to political unrest but is picking up slowly.