Tourist flow to eastern hills rises

With the beginning of the new tourist season, the inflow of tourists to the eastern hills has increased. The number of tourists heading towards Kumbhakarna, Makalu, and Kanchanjunga mountain base camps has increased significantly in recent days, thanks to the improvement in weather after the rainy season. Compared to the previous year, tourist arrival here had delayed for the long rainy season. Bansatapur, which is the main route to the Kumbhakarna, Makalu, and Kanchanjunga base camps started to witness the entry of foreign and domestic tourists from last week. With this, the local tourism business has also boomed. Hotels and guest houses of Mudeshanischare, Chauki, Mangalbare and Gufabazaar are crowed, while all big hotels are packed. “Arrival of foreign tourists too is growing,” said Pemba Bhotia, proprietor of Yak Hotel. Foreign tourists are coming from countries like Germany, Nigeria, Norway, UK, USA, India, Portugal and Australia. Similarly, domestic tourists come from places like Ilam, Jhapa, Kathmandu, Makawanpur, Chitwan, Butwal, Biratnagar and Dharan. Nepal Tourism Board has included this area as one of the top five tourist destinations of the country. It is famous for having 28 types of rhododendron flower. The area is witnessing a growth in the number of visitors for the last two years. It has emerged a destination for educational tour, observation tour to farmers for agriculture and animal husbandry, and biodiversity and rhododendron study. “We are seeing the arrival of foreigners every day,” said Prakash Shrestha, member of the Tourism Development and Promotion Committee, Terhathum. He said with the number of tourists increasing, there is a need for developing infrastructure by local tourism entrepreneurs to hold tourists for a longer time. After the availability facilities such as electricity, telephone, internet and drinking water, tourists have started to visit even remote villages. According to Govinda Dhungana of the committee, 28 types of rhododendron, Gupha Pokhari, Tinjure Hill, rear bids and culture of communities like Yakkha, Tamang, Magar, Newar, Gurung, Sherpa, Newar and Limbu are among the major attraction of the place. The area is witnessing a growth in the number of visitors for the last two years

Govt amends hotel regulation

Classifies five-star properties into five-star and five-star plus deluxe categories The Tourism Ministry has amended the three-decade old hotel and resort regulation, issuing a new regulatory orders aimed at incorporating changes that have taken place in the hotel industry. Amid criticism that a number of five-star properties do not meet the international standards of a luxury hotel in terms of infrastructure and services they provide, the orders have categorised five-star hotels in two categories—five-star and five-star plus deluxe. The orders, which was published in the Nepal Gazette on October 21, has replaced the Hotel, Lodge, Restaurant, Bar and Tourist Guide Regulation 1981, enforcing the statutory orders to the hoteliers to comply with the latest and modern technology and environment conscious facilities. However, the orders have given a five-year period for the existing hotels to upgrade. “We have given the hoteliers a fiveyear period to upgrade the existing hotels, while new hotels have to comply with every clause of the revised regulation,” said Purna Chandra Bhattarai, jointsecretary of the Industry Division of the ministry. Ministry officials said the move reflects the stakeholders’ concerns that hotels were still being governed by a 30-year-old regulation. The stakeholders had sought a regulation compatible with the current tourism environment and the importance and needs of the tourists. The orders have categorised rental accommodations as tourist standard, mountain resort, jungle and safari resort, and the star category includes one- to five-star hotels. However, the orders have failed to enforce incorporation of facilities that are accessible to the people with disabilities. Also, there are no definitions for new emerging brands like the apartment hotel segment. As per the new provision, a five-star hotel should have at least 200 rooms, 10 percent of which have to be suites and presidential suites with music system, 25 percent deluxe rooms, and 10 club rooms. Each room has to be spread on 250 sq ft with attached bathroom. Fifteen percent of the beds have to be kingor queen-sized. The lobby has to accommodate at least 100 people and comply with the earthquake protection system. The parking space should accommodate vehicles at least 25 percent of the total number of rooms. All the managers of the hotel have to possess a diploma in hotel management at minimum. The hotel should keep the statistics of all its guests and its income intact, the orders read. Separate smoking zones, 24/7 security facility and hygienic kitchen, among other facilities, have been made mandatory for five-star properties. “The reforms are aimed at making five-star hotels look like five-star in terms of service delivery and infrastructure,” Bhattarai said. As far as four-star hotels are concerned, they should at least have 80 rooms each spread on 230 sq ft and have attached bathrooms. These properties should have 10 percent suite rooms and the lobby should have the capacity accommodate 40 guests. Air conditioning system, CCTV system, conference hall, swimming pool, health club, fitness centre, sauna bath, sports facilities and coffee shops have been made mandatory for fourstar properties. At least 50 percent seats have to be allocated for non-smoking guests in restaurants and 80 percent managers should possess a diploma in hotel management. Three-star category hotels should have at least 60 rooms each spreading on 196 sq ft, and 10 percent of the beds should be queen-sized, while all the rooms should be equipped with AC facilities. The orders have made it mandatory for two-star properties to have 40 rooms each spread on 169 sq ft, with attached bathroom. They should have felicities like Wi-fi, CCTV, and parking space for at least 10 vehicles. Similarly, a one-star hotel should boast of 20 rooms each spread on 169 sq ft. Meanwhile, the orders have classified resorts into three categories—mountain resorts, jungle resorts and safari camps, and tourist resorts. These resorts should have recreational activities like hiking, bird watching and safari, among other sports activities. The number of star hotels has reached 107 in 2012 from the previous year’s 106, while the number of tourist standards hotels and resorts rose to 743 in 2012 from 721 in 2011, according to the Economic Survey 2012-13. However, the orders have failed to enforce incorporation of facilities that are accessible to the people with disabilities. Also, there are no definitions for new emerging brands like the apartment hotel segment A combo photo shows five-star hotels in Kathmandu.

Trekkers´ Information Management System (TIMS) can go online only next season

The plan of making Trekkers´ Information Management System (TIMS) card available online this trekking season seems a mission impossible as only the software has been installed as of now while the remaining infrastructures are yet to be put in place. The Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) has already finalized the software for making TIMS card available on the net. And Ramesh Dhamala, president of TAAN, told Republica that the online system can be implemented right after Tihar. However, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) is yet to endorse the plan to make it available online. NTB and the TAAN have been jointly implementing the TIMS since 2010. Lila Bahadur Baniya, senior manager of NTB, said that it is not possible to make TIMS available online this trekking season. “The TAAN has already made the software, but as TIMS is directly related to revenue there are many issues to be addressed such as internet security, making check point systems go online, backup power for check posts, training manpower, and making the sample of hard copy of TIMS card ready among others,” said Baniya, adding that it is possible to operate the online system only for the next trekking season. The TAAN will be providing a code to the trekkers who register online but have to collect the hard copy of the card once they arrive here. Deepak Mahat, past president of TAAN, said that the online system can be launched immediately after getting green signal from NTB. But he echoed Baniya´s view that making the check points system go online and arranging power and data backup system is really challenging. Mahat who has been closely working on TIMS online said that the system in very important for the trekkers but also for making data analysis and documentation easy and keeping transparent record of TIMS that is accessible from any place. “We are in discussion with NTB regarding the detailed overview of the possibility of making TIMS available online, and will try to implement it as early as possible,” said Sagar Pandey, general secretary of the TAAN.

Govt enforces new criteria for hotels

The government has enforced a new set of criteria for star hotels and tourist standard resorts. It has also introduced a new category -- deluxe five-star. The new criteria was published in the Gazette on Monday. As per the notice published in the Gazette, the government has enforced the criteria by making amendments to the Hotel, Lodge, Restaurant, Bar and Tour Operator Regulation 1981. As per the new criteria, all star hotels need to increase rooms by 20 percent. Similarly, they should have facilities like Wi-Fi and CCTV and should have LCD/LED TV in all rooms. New hotels should follow the criteria immediately, while existing hotels have five years to meet the new criteria. As per the notice, hotels that fail to meet the criteria within the given timeframe will be dropped to lower category. Hoteliers have welcomed the new standardization order. They say the new standards will help to raise the quality of hotels in Nepal in line with the international standard. They have also hailed the government decision to introduce deluxe five-star category, saying that it has opened the doors for investment in deluxe five-star hotels. Also existing five start hotels can upgrade themselves into deluxe five-star category by adding new facilities, they said. Madhav Om Shrestha, executive director of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), said the amendments to the regulation were made in consultation with the association. He also told Republica that HAN will help member hotels to implement the standardization order within the given timeframe. According to HAN officials, five-star hotels like Hyatt Regency Kathmandu, Hotel Radisson Kathmandu Hotel and Soaltee Crown Plaza already have the necessary infrastructures to upgrade themselves into the category of deluxe five-star. Other five-star hotels are also making preparations to upgrade to the deluxe five-star category, they said. As per the notice published in the Gazette, deluxe five-star hotels should have a minimum of 200 rooms, more than five food and beverage outlets with touchscreen or remote Personal Digital Assistance (PDA), banquets having at least 6,000 square feet, spa and sauna bath, and vehicle scanning equipment and baggage scanner, among others. “The hotels that meet the criteria have to apply at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) for upgradation. The government will then initiate necessary procedure for upgrading,” Shrestha added. Prabin Bahadur Pandey, executive director of Shangri-la Hotel, said the new standardization order helps existing five-star hotels to separate into different category on the basis of infrastructures and facilities they have. “We will upgrade ourselves into the deluxe five-star category. We have the required space to add the facility as specified in the standardization order,” he added.

Nepal, India move closer to historic pact on tourism

NEPAL and India are poised to sign a historic memorandum of understanding (MoU) on investment and cooperation in the tourism sector. Stakeholders from both sides gathered here on Monday to discuss a mutually agreed draft MoU, jointly prepared by a technical team from the travel and tourism sectors of both the countries. As per the team findings, to facilitate overland tourists, it has been recommended to create hassle-free transport movement at major border points and ease frontier formalities at the customs. The team has recommended instilling a sense of security among visitors to create an opportunity in the tourism sector. As Nepal has not been able to explore full tourism potential in the Far West Region, the panel has recommended opening of the Banbasa Bridge on the Nepal-India border for more than 12 hours from the current three hours a day. The panel has also recommended that Nepal cash in on the travel benefits provided to Indian holidaymakers as leave travel concession. Effective coordination with Indian railway and Indian airlines was among other recommendations of the panel. “As expensive airfare has been a major concern for Indian travellers, the governments of Nepal and India must jointly take an initiative to reduce ticket prices,” said travel trade entrepreneur Yogendra Sakya. “This can be done by reducing ground handling and parking charges for airlines on a reciprocal basis.” The panel has also recommended that landing and parking charges be imposed in Indian currency terms. One of the pertinent issues raised was the restriction on the transaction of 500- and 1,000-rupee Indian currency notes in Nepal. “Restriction on transaction of IRs 500 and IRs 1,000 denomination Indian banknotes has been a stumbling block,” Sakya said. Meanwhile, the panel has recommended eliminating confusions about debit and credit cards. Cards issued by Indian banks are imprinted “the card is not valid for foreign exchange in Nepal and Bhutan”. However, the cards actually are valid in Nepal and this confusion should be removed, Sakya added. The panel has proposed holding annual Nepal-India tourism forum meeting and explore possibility of a joint tourism promotion abroad. With stakeholders’ input, the panels representing all major chambers of Nepal will handover the draft to the tourism ministries of both the countries for the signing of the MoU. “I assure to send these precise recommendations made for the two governments to address the tourism sector of both countries with strong endorsement to our tourism ministry,” said Ranjeet Rae, newly-appointed Indian ambassador to Nepal. As “India is a travel bug” now, there is no reason that Indian will not come to Nepal, Rae said, underscoring the need for targeted promotion in specific cities to increase Indian travellers. Rae said like in the past, Nepal should attract film producers who are the major promotional drivers. Besides, millions of Buddhist population has intense desire to visit the birth place of Gautam Buddha in Nepal and given this opportunity, we should work together for the development of Lumbini, Rae said. Tourism Secretary Sushil Ghimire said the proposed MoU will explore investment opportunities. He said the ministry is ready to revise the air service agreement with India if the existing air seat facility is not adequate to cater to increasing travellers’ movement. “On behalf of my ministry, I will leave no stone unturned to facilitate and address or convince the Nepal government on the need of MoU between the two governments.” The Monday’s meeting is a follow- up of the July 2012 meeting with the Nepali delegation with the Ministry of External Affairs of India’s Northern Division that has prioritised tourism as one of the most important sector. Visitors from India, the largest tourist source market for Nepal, spent 9.34 days per visit per person on an average last year compared to 7.99 days a year before. Nepal received 174,146 visitors from India last year, among whom 122,775 were first-time visitors. (From right) FNCCI President Suraj Vaidya, Tourism Secretary Sushil Ghimire, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjeet Rae, Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce and Industries President Sashiraj Pandey at a programme in Kathmandu on Monday. POST PHOTO: PRAKASH TIMILSENA

Five-star hotel planned on the western bank of Rara

A MODERN five-star hotel has been proposed in the western bank area of Rara Lake, Mugu. Rara Project Private Limited, the company that wants to invest in the hotel, has started a fresh environmental impact study to this effect. The company has proposed to build the hotel at Upper Milichour in Rara National Park (RNP) investing Rs 4 billion. On Sunday, Rara Project held a meeting regarding the environmental impact with the officials of RNP and the communities concerned. “We discussed what sorts of environment impacts could be faced after construction of the hotel inside RNP,” said Ramesh Bhatta, environmental consultant. Since there is no infrastructure to attract tourists, stakeholder committees here urged the company to build the hotel soon. In the last four years, the company has conducted two environmental impact assessment (EIA) studies in a bid to build the hotel in the Rara area, which is 2,990 m above sea level. Bhatta said that it was the final study and work on the hotel project would move further soon after necessary consultation with experts. A team of experts will submit an EIA report along with their suggestions to the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation seeking permission. The plan of the Rara Project shows that the hotel will be built on 200 hectares of land and will have a total of 10 modern buildings that will be three to four storeys. In the first phase, the company will build seven buildings and three will be built in the second phase. It is estimated that the hotel will offer employment opportunities to 300 individuals. Facilities such as a Scottish golf course, biking, jogging and hiking are anticipated beside the plan for bird watching and wildlife tours. The company has proposed to generate electricity using the water of Rara Lake for the use of the hotel. The proposal of the company has showed that it would provide a paragliding service in Lower Milichour and build a route for cycling from Talchha Airport to the hotel. It has also targeted to install a cable car from the hotel to Murma hilltop to attract tourists. Rara Project Private Limited, the company that wants to invest in the hotel, has started a fresh environmental impact study to this effect

'Visit Malaysia Year 2014' eyes 28m tourists

Tourism Malaysia and Malla Travel and Trek Services of Nepal are making early preparations to make Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2014, which targets to attract 28 million tourists to the South East Asian nation, successful. According to a press statement, as a prelude to Visit Malaysia Year 2014, many fascinating events and festivals such as the F1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix, Colours of Malaysia, the Malaysia International Shoe Festival, the Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism Festival, the Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival, and the Malaysia International Tourism Night Floral Parade, among others have been lined up. "There are numerous reasons tourists will find Malaysia an irresistible must-visit holiday destination of which some are to experience marvelous natural wonders and impeccable warm hospitality while others will simply enjoy the shopping and urban experiences," a statement issued on Friday, said. " Tourists visiting Malaysia will be attracted by the rich and colorful multi-cultural heritage, delectable cuisines, great mountains and rivers, lush green parks and gardens, idyllic tropical islands, palm-fringed beaches and million-year-old rainforests among others." Malaysia also offers visitors various tourism products that embrace the concept of luxury such as spa vacations, golfing holidays, wedding and honeymoon destinations, duty-free shopping sprees and helicopter tours among others.

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.

Int’l passenger carriage up 5.66pc in H1

INTERNATIONAL airlines serving Nepal saw a 5.66 percent year-on-year rise in passenger carriage in the first six months of 2013. During the period January- June, the 27 foreign carriers and two Nepali airlines flew 1.517 million travellers, or 81,306 more than before, said Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). Nepal's sole international airport handled on an average 8,430 travellers per day. There were 11,201 international flights through TIA in the first half of 2013, up 3.45 percent. On an average, 63 international airlines took off and landed at TIA. TIA statistics show that Air India, Fly Dubai and Nepal Airlines and Air Arabia saw the strongest growth in passenger carriage during the review period. Qatar Airways topped the chart carrying 176,339 passengers during this period. However, its passenger occupancy growth dropped 4.20

percent. Air India recorded a significant growth in terms of passenger occupancy. The carrier flew 121,585 passengers in the first half of 2013, up 20.28 percent. Travel trade officials said that suspension of flights on the Delhi sector by Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) and Kingfisher Airlines helped Air India to boost its occupancy. Our Indian carriers, Jet Airways, Air India, Spice Jet and Indigo, were among the top 10 in the first half of this year. Dubai-based low-cost carrier Flydubai took the fourth spot with a 100.40 percent growth in its passenger occupancy. Flydubai flew 114,690 travellers. The national with a 12.61 percent growth in occupancy to 112,068 passengers. Indian low-cost carriers Spice Jet and Indigo witnessed a 7.23 percent and 3.26 percent growth in passenger occupancy respectively. Likewise, UAE-based low-cost carrier Air Arabia saw a 14.13 percent rise in passenger carriage. Thai Airways and Etihad Airways registered a negative growth of 5.30 percent and 13.17 percent respectively. Hong Kongbased Dragon Air posted a growth of 12.29 percent to 47,290 passengers. Three Chinese carriers—Air China, China Eastern and China Southern—saw their passenger occupancy grow 35.92 percent to 82,470 during the review period. Two Malaysian-based carriers— Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia—flew 36,630 and 56,787 travellers respectively in the first half of the year. Similarly, Bhutan-based Druk Air and Singapore-based Silk Air flew 18,880 and 24,728 travellers respectively in the first half of 2013.

Room bookings at star hotels go up

Room booking at star hotels and resorts in Kathmandu for this month and the upcoming months look promising compared to the same period of last year. Hoteliers say they have seen 10 to 15 percent increment for October-December compared to last year. Almost all the start hotels have reported growth in booking for the period. However, booking for September has gone down. “The booking for September has gone down as the number of trekkers visiting Nepal is decreasing,” Bharat Joshi, resident manager at Hotel Yak and Yeti, said. He attributed the decline in the number of trekkers to recession in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Booking figures of Hotel Yak and Yeti as at August 6 show the hotel has received 46 percent booking for August, 45 percent for September, 87 percent for October, 88 percent for November and 67 percent for December. Hoteliers attribute the growth in booking to growing number of Chinese tourists, increased flow of tourists to Kailash Mansarovar area of Tibet, and growth in occupancy from MICE (Meeting Incentives Conference and Exhibition) segment. Bharat Devkota, sales and marketing manager at Shaker Hotel, said hotels have received good bookings compared to last year because tourists feel political situation here has become stable after election date was finalized. The hotel has received 65 percent booking for August and 75 percent, 90 percent, 90 percent and 50 percent, respectively, for September, October, November and December. According to the hoteliers, most of the bookings have been made by individual clients. “Booking from corporate clients is not satisfactory. Likewise, booking from MICE segment, except India, is also down,” Joshi said, adding that most of the international conferences have been postponed to December-end or January due to election. Though hotels in Kathmandu have reported rise in booking, Pokhara hotels say bookings are down compared to last year. Rajkumar KC, executive manager of Hotel Barahi, hotels in Pokhara have received less bookings compared to last year. “We have received fewer bookings not because tourist arrivals are down. It is because six new hotels and resorts have opened in Pokhara,” said KC. Hotel Barahi has received 60 percent booking for August, 44 percent for September, 95 percent each for October and November, and 80 percent for December.

TAAN Eco-Challenge on Aug 17

With a view to attracting tourists in the off season, Trekking Agencies´ Association of Nepal (TAAN) is organizing TAAN International Eco-Challenge 2013 on August 17. The Eco-Challenge is a team event in which teams comprising four members each will compete in three different disciplines of sports -- running, cycling and rafting, the organizer TAAN announced at a press conference in the capital on Monday. "We are organizing the event with a view to attracting tourists in the off season as well. The period from October to November and from March to May are the only tourist seasons in Nepal and we hope such events will help attract tourists in the off season as well," said Mohan Lamsal, the general secretary of TAAN. According to TAAN President Mahendra Singh Thapa, the event is being organized with the slogan "Nepal for All Season". All four members of each team will start the Eco-Challenge with a 6.5-km race from Bhutkhel ground, Tokha to Pani Muhan, Budhanilkantha. A team can compete in cycling once all the team members reach the finishing point. Similarly, all the team members have to complete the 14.5-km cycling race from Nagarjun-Shivapuri National Park to Sundarijal before they can take part in rafting, the third and final segment of the event. The 7.5-km rafting race will start from the Bagmati River at Sundarijal and finish at Gokarna. Each team will get one guide for rafting and the team that finishes first in the last segment -- rafting -- will be declared the winner. "The main objective behind starting every stage after the arrival of all team members is to develop team spirit," said Saroj Neupane, the coordinator of sports, festival and ceremony department at TAAN. The registration fee for Nepali teams is Rs 2,500 and $ 100 for foreign teams. The top three teams will bag Rs 100,000, Rs 75,000 and Rs 50,000 respectively. The organizers have expected at least 10 teams to participate in the event. The expected cost of the event is about Rs 1 million.

Arrivals via air down 3.5pc

TOURIST arrivals via air in Nepal dropped by 3.5 percent to 320,989 in the first seven months of 2013, compared to the same period last year. Figures released by Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) show arrivals dropped due to slowed growth from the South Asian and European markets. Visitors from South Asia and Europe dropped by 18.6 percent and 15.6 percent respectively in the first seven months. In the month of July, visitor arrivals increased by a marginal 0.28 percent to 38,560. Arrival from India declined by 15.74 percent, or 2,361 less Indian traveled Nepal in July this year. Arrivals from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka dropped by 32.26 percent and 61.68 percent respectively. Visitor arrivals from Asia (other than South Asia region) recorded growth of 14.36 percent, with China (17.91 percent), and Malaysia (77.10 percent), South Korea (0.90 percent) and Thailand (87.21 percent) showing growth. However, arrivals from Singapore and Japan dropped by 2.16 percent and 12.19 percent respectively. From long-haul markets, Europe registered an overall growth of 6.59 percent. Arrivals from Belgium, the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, and Russia have recorded growth of 54.35 percent, 22.32 percent, 3.45 percent, 27.32 percent and 62.62 percent respectively. Arrivals from Denmark, Germany, France, Norway, Spain and Switzerland were down by 0.87 percent, 6.79 percent, 7.70 percent, 53.33 percent, 14.97 percent and 30.92 percent respectively. Likewise, arrivals from Canada and the US also showed positive growth of 107.10 percent and 5.10 percent respectively. Australia posted growth of 32.58 percent while New Zealand showed decrease in arrival figure by 7.63 percent. A total of 43,063 foreign tourists departed from TIA in July 2013. In the month of July, tourist arrivals increased by a marginal 0.28 percent to 38,560

Tourist arrivals silghtly down

The arrival of tourists from the countries other than India via the transit point of Belahiya of Rupandehi slightly declined in the first seven months of this year as compared to the same period last year. Altogether 66,128 tourists other than the Indians came through the transit point from January to July this year. The number stood at 66,524 during the same period last year. The main destination of the tourists coming via this route was Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Budhha. The record of tourists´ arrival via this route shows decrease this year after a steady rise in the recent years, according to officials. An immigration officer at Belahiya Ram Prasad Gyawali said that the recent blast at Bodhagaya in India, the place where Lord Buddha attained his enlightenment, was also responsible for the decrease in the tourist arrival. Mostly the Buddhists from Sri Lanka, Thaliand and Myanmar visit Lumbini. Thai visitors top the number of country-wise visitors from this route. Altogether 19,729 Thai nationals entered Nepal this year vias Belahiya route. The number of tourists from Sri Lanka stood 15,442. Likewise, 12,796 Burmese and 3,428 Koreans also came through this route. Number of Dutch and British tourists arriving through this route stood at 1,030 and 976, respectively.

Entrepreneurs woo Indian tourists to Pokhara

A group of tourism entrepreneurs from Pokhara are busy organizing various promotional programs in different cities of India to attract the Indian tourists to visit their lake city. The team coordinated by Nepal Association of Tours and Travel Agents (NATTA) are organizing interactions and other promotional programs. Kedar Sharma, president of NATTA, said that they are focusing on the possible tourists from Goa and Mumbai. “This is the season of scorching heat in India, therefore we want to lure them to much cooler Pokhara,” added Sharma.They said they are encouraged by the rise of the Indian tourists visiting the lake city as a result of their continuous promotional programs over the last ten years. NATTA has also organized promotional campaigns in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Some 150,000 international tourists visit the lake city annually, according to the tourism entrepreneurs.

Tourists from Norway are ‘longest stayers’ in Nepal

TOURISTS from Norway were the longest stayers in Nepal last year, spending an average of 25.49 days in the country. According to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Nepal received 3,280 Norwegian tourists in 2012, among whom 2,369 were first time visitors. Their length of stay increased by

2.51 days from before. In 2011, Finnish visitors were the longest stayers in Nepal. The Norwegians were followed by visitors from Ireland, the US, Pakistan, Finland, the UK and Belgium. Travel trade entrepreneurs said that tourists from Scandinavian countries were long stayers. “They are fond of soft trekking activities and culturally interactive meetings. As a result, they spend more time in Nepal,” said Hari Sarmah, chief executive officer of the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents. As per the Tourism Ministry’s arrival data, visitors from Myanmar and Bhutan were the shortest stayers averaging 2.20 and 2.28 days respectively. Short stayers from other countries are Bangladeshis (4.58 days), Vietnamese (4.67 days), Saudi Arabians (5.38 days), Sri Lankans (5.68 days) and Thais (6.88 days). Visitors from India, the largest tourist source market for Nepal, spent 9.34 days last year compared to 7.99 days the year before. Nepal received 174,146 visitors from India last year, among whom 122,775 were first time visitors. According to Sarmah, the length of stay of Indian visitors is relatively low as they find visiting the Himalaya more expensive than travelling to tourist destinations like Thailand and Malaysia. “Although they are good spenders and by nature are fond of travelling in groups, Nepal has not been able to develop tourism products that please them.” Meanwhile, arrivals from China have increased significantly, but the length of stay has declined. The average length of stay of visitors from China, which is Nepal’s second largest source market, dropped to 8.82 days last year from 10.14 days before. In 2010, Chinese visitors were among the longest stayers in Nepal averaging 15.63 days. The country received 71,861 Chinese tourists last year, among whom 64,275 were first time visitors. AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY OF TOURISTS IN 2012 LONGEST STAYERS Nationality Length of stay Norway 25.49 days Ireland 24.77 days USA 22.73 days Pakistan 21.99 days Finland 21.65 days SHORTEST STAYERS Myanmar 2.20 days Bhutan 2.28 days Bangladesh 4.58 days Vietnam 4.67 days Saudi Arabia 5.38 days (Source: Tourism Ministry)

Annual Development Plan targets 1.2 million tourists this fiscal

THE government has envisaged attracting 1.2 million tourists this fiscal year under its Annual Development Plan 2013-14. The figure is 50 percent higher than the annual tourist arrivals last fiscal 2012-13. The country received 803,092 tourists last fiscal year, according to official data. The National Planning Commission (NPC) last week unveiled the plan, which was devised by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. Based on the policies, programmes and strategies for the development of tourism, the ministry formulates the annual plan coinciding with the budget and is endorsed by the NPC. The plan has targeted increasing the average length of stay of tourists to 13 days from 12.87 days recorded last fiscal year. The ministry also plans to increase the contribution of tourism to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) to 3 percent from the current 2 percent. According to the plan, the ministry has accorded high priority to infrastructure development, conservation of national heritage sites and promotion of home-stay and village tourism in line with its “Vision 2020”, a tourism perspective plan, which aims to bring in 2 million foreign tourists annually by 2020. The ministry has also started work on developing specific and exclusive zones for intensive tourism development under its “18 Tourism Zones” plan. The annual development plan has targeted to increase jobs in the travel and tourism sector to 175,000 from last year’s 160,000. It also aims to increase per day spending of tourists to $45 this fiscal year from last year’s $34.93 and increase international airlines’ connectivity to Nepal to 35 from the existing 26.

NTB for promoting domestic tourism

THE Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) held a meeting with various travel and trade executives with the view of formulating strong marketing and promotional strategies. Representatives of the Nepal Association of Tour and Trekking Agents (NATTA), Nepal Association of Tour Operators (NATO), Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) and Trekking Agency Association of Nepal (TAAN) participated in the meeting aimed at exploring key areas in marketing and promotion. The NTB’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Subash Niroula said that rapid globalization had caused a paradigm shift in tourism marketing and promotion, and it had become imperative for Nepal’s tourism industry to keep pace with the marketing shift with innovative plans and programmes. NATO President Ashok Pokharel said Nepal needed to focus on bringing quality tourists and increasing their length of stay in order to benefit the country’s tourism as a whole. He underscored the need for international marketing tie-ups with international airlines for sales missions in Europe. Meanwhile, TAAN President Mahendra Singh Thapa emphasized promoting and marketing the new trekking routes recently explored by TAAN in the international travel market. He also said that Nepal should be promoted for all seasons through festivals, events and promotional programmes in the country. Since the recent government budget has made a mandatory provision for employees of profit-making public corporations and A and B class banks and financial institution to go for internal tourism at company expense, NTB officials requested NATTA and HAN to make tour packages for domestic tourists to implement the encouraging provision.

NTB-stakeholders talks

KATHMANDU: In order to reposition Nepal’s image in the international tourism market, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has started parleys with tourism associations and experts to adopt a strategy that penetrates the market more subtly. NTB held discussions on promoting Nepal as a Meeting, Incentive, Conference and Exhibition (MICE) destination with representatives of five- and four-star hotels. NTB officiating CEO Subash Nirola said new strategies will be instrumental in increasing tourist numbers. “As we were solely dependent on individual overseas tour operators to promote Nepal, we will now all be to work together in a concerted, focused and centralised effort to penetrate new segment of a market that has great potential.”

‘Tourism needs urgent image makeover’

TOURISM needs an urgent image makeover, according to the Economic Survey 2012-13. The survey recommended recognizing the sector as national priority area in order to harvest its potential for inclusive and sustainable growth of the economy. The survey unveiled on Friday highlighted the need for immediately addressing issues relating to infrastructure bottleneck, visitors’ safety and cleanliness, among others. It also suggested providing incentives to attract investment in the sector. The survey has sought equal participation of government agencies, the private sector and the public to create a more tourism-friendly environment. The country welcomed 803,092 tourists in 2012, which directly contributed Rs 30 billion on the country’s foreign exchange reserves. In the first eight months of the fiscal year, Nepal earned Rs 21.45 billion in tourism revenue — 4.8 percent of the total forex earnings, according to the survey. The survey, however, said the country was not able to capitalise on its tourism potential to the fullest. Poor industrial security, labour problem, political instability and extended load shedding hours, among others, hampered tourism, it said. “Despite being a potential destination in the global tourism map, political instability has hampered the sector’s growth,” said Hari Sarmah, chief executive officer of Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents. “It has indeed made Nepal the last choice among high-end tourists.” Besides, air connectivity has become a major bottleneck in attracting visitors, he said, adding until the issue is resolved with firm policies to promote destinations, Nepal will continue to receive budget travellers. The survey has stressed on the need for an integrated tourism infrastructure and development of tourism products, particularly trekking, mountaineering and home stay, to decentralise tourism benefits. A tourist spent 12.87 days on an average in Nepal in 2012, down from 13.12 days in 2011, the survey showed. Also, the average tourist spending has declined to a 16-year low of $34.93 per day per person in 2012. Among the total visitors, 43.30 percent were here for the holidaying purpose, 13.59 percent for trekking and mountaineering, 12.76 percent for pilgrimage, 4.09 percent were fun seekers, 3.15 percent business travellers, 1.71 percent for seminars and 0.22 percent for rafting. The tourism sector created 160,000 jobs in 2012. The sector had generated 110,000 employments in 2011. The number of star hotels reached 107 in 2012 from last year’s 106, while the number of tourist standards hotels and resorts rose to 743 in 2012 from 721 in 2011. Star hotels added 48 room nights in 2012, taking the total room nights available to 9,371. Tourist standards hotels and resorts added 829 room nights to 22,286. Need for addressing issues relating to infrastructure bottlenecks, visitors’ safety and cleanliness Participation of government agencies, the private sector and the public to create a more tourism-friendly environment recommended Poor industrial security, labour problem, political instability and extended load shedding hours hampering tourism Need for an integrated tourism infrastructure to decentralise tourism benefits ECONOMIC SURVEY

Bids for Bhairahawa airport project to be invited soon

The project hit a roadblock due to lack of resources after a fresh study showed that another US$ 53 million would be required to complete it THE Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has said that preparations are at the final stages to invite bids for the development of Gautam Buddha Airport in Bhairahawa into a regional international airport. The ministry began work to invite tenders after the Asian Development Bank (ADB) pledged to

provide additional funding for the project. The first phase of construction at Gautam Buddha Airport was originally planned to start by the end of 2011. It is expected to be completed within three years. The project hit a roadblock due to lack of resources after a fresh study showed that another US$ 53 million would be required to complete it. An earlier survey carried out by the ADB four years ago had estimated that the upgradation would cost around $ 36 million. “The revised project cost now stands at $ 90.6 million,” said Ashok Kumar Shrestha, project manager of the Gautam Buddha Airport Upgrading Project. “The ADB has given the go-ahead for the project. However, we are waiting for its final assurance letter.” A $ 99.5 million project has been formulated to build the airport at Bhairahawa and infrastructure at Lumbini. The airport component has been valued at $ 90.6 million. The project will be financed by a loan and grant aid of $ 42.96 million and $ 12.75 million respectively from the ADB under the South Asia Tourism Infrastructure Development Project. The OPEC Fund for International Development, as a co-financing arm of the ADB, is providing a $ 15 million loan. The Nepal government will be contributing $ 29.17 million to the project. A visitor information desk, tourism promotion activities and electricity vehicles, among other projects, have been planned in Lumbini under the same package. According to Bal Krishna Ghimire, joint secretary at the ministry, the airport runway was earlier proposed to be 2,600 m long. However, realizing the need for an international standard airport, the runway’s length was later proposed to be extended to 3,000 m. The airport will serve as an alternative to the country’s sole international airport Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, said Ghimire. “Lack of a secondary international airport has compelled a large number of international flights to be diverted to Kolkata and Lucknow, India and Dhaka, Bangladesh, among other airports, when problems arise at TIA. Ministry officials said that the project would be a milestone for the country’s tourism development. They added that proper infrastructure could turn Lumbini into an international pilgrimage hub. The number of tourists coming to visit Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha located in south central Nepal, has been rising steadily since 2010. A number of international airlines, particularly from East Asia, have shown interest in connecting Lumbini directly if there was an international-standard airport. After the first phase of the upgradation project, Gautam Buddha Airport will have a capacity to handle 600,000 passengers annually. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, the project’s executing agency, has aimed to complete the entire project by 2030. The airport will be able to handle up to 6 million passengers annually when it is complete.