Nepal Tourism Cuncil Convenes After a Decade-long Hiatus

National Tourism Council (NTC), after a hiatus of 10 years, conducted its sixth meeting today. The council was constituted on May 25, 1992 with a view to develop tourism as the backbone of the national economy and maintain coordination and harmony among various agencies related to tourism.

The main activity of the council is to solve problems faced by the tourism sector, issuing policy guidelines and reviewing pertinent plans and programmes. Speaking at the programme, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal insisted on regular functioning of the council. The PM said with Nepal Tourism Year 2011 approaching near, the council should conduct meetings at least twice a year. "There must be coordination between the different tourism sectors and a holistic approach for the development of tourism for its promotion and preservation," said PM Nepal.

National Tourism Council's first meeting was held on December 1, 1992. The second was held on June 12, 1994, third on June 12, 1995, fourth on December 26, 1997 and fifth on December 20, 1999.

During the programme, representatives of the tourism sector urged for peace and security in the tourism in dustry and called for declaring the tourism industry an essential sector.

Speaking on the occasion, Hotel Dwarika's chief patron Ambica Shrestha said the tourism industry must be declared an essential sector for its preservation. She also insisted on early construction of another international airport to avoid growing air traffic congestion. Meanwhile, Nepal Rastra Bank's former governor Deependra Purush Dhakal said that special attention should be given to the aviation sector as it can make or break the tourism sector. According to Dhakal, Nepal Airlines Corporation's decision to acquire two aircraft is appreciable but still not satisfactory, as only one wide body aircraft cannot fulfill the demand. He added that there was also the need for regular flights. Dhakal also insisted on the privatization of NAC for the development of the national flag carrier.

"Thanks to its clear policy, Bhutan is witnessing quality tourist arrival.

Here, there is a difference of thought among different ministries. There there must be unity in thought and policy for the overall development of tourism," said Suraj Vaidhya, representing Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI). Talking about the present tourism scenario, MoTCA secretary Nagendra Prasad Ghimire said that in 2008 the total tourist arrival was 500277 and total income generated was US $352 million. "The tourism council should develop the civil aviation region by increasing the capacity of Tribhuvan International Airport. He also called for solving the airport congestion problem, granting primary concern to the construction of fast-track and participation of the private sector in the management and extension of the airport.