Indian tourism entrepreneurs demand Mumbai-Kathmandu direct flight

The tourism entrepreneurs here in Mumbai have complained that the interested tourists to visit Nepal are diverted to other countries owing to lack of enough direct flights to Kathmandu. Tourism entrepreneur of Mumbai Juzer Shaikhally said, “We are unable to send interested Indian tourists to Nepal due to limited flights to Kathmandu from Mumbai.” The entrepreneurs of Mumbai lodged their complaints to the members of team of tourism entrepreneurs of Pokhara who are touring India in bid to attract the Indian tourists. The team is in a promotional campaign led by Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA). Only Jet Airways has direct flights between Mumbai and Kathmandu. Mostly tourists from Mumbai can Kathmandu only via Delhi, which means extra time and hassles. As there is no other airlines offering a direct flights from Mumbai to Kathmandu, the service offered by Jet Airways is expensive, according to the entrepreneurs. Shaikhally further said, “We send thousands of Indian tourists to Thailand and Malaysia. However we can hardly send any of them to Nepal despite our knowledge of attractive destinations in Nepal.” “It is essential to have more direct flights between the two cities if we are to send more tourists to Nepal,” added Rajendra Dhumma, director of Classic Travels and Tours of Mumbai. He also opined that Nepal should not depend only on Jet Airways and should at least ask the state-run Nepal Airlines Corporation to start flight along the route if it is to attract more tourists. Indian travel and tour operators also complained that the Nepali entrepreneurs have not done enough to attract young Indian tourists. “Indian tourists rarely go for trekking and Nepal should have a special package of trekking to lure young Indians,” opines Rajesh Chikkon, another tourism entrepreneur in Mumbai.