‘Tourism Decade’ on cards

Kathmandu, May 7

As the hopes for successful Visit Nepal 2020 are shattered by the deadly coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has proposed to celebrate a ‘Tourism Decade’ for the next 10 years 2021-2030.

Each year of the decade would be celebrated with a focus to a distinctive discipline of tourism such as mountain, water, education, health, rural and culture.

“This year will be of survival, 2021 will be a revival while 2022 will mark the normal times. We must not sit idle since tourism is a great hope of the economy and development,” Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai said at an interaction with journalists on the ministerial policy and budget at the Ministry on Thursday.

In the meanwhile, tourism infrastructure would be developed across the country in cooperation with the respective sub-national government. The ministry has proposed a theme ‘Partnership in investment and shares in profits’.

At least one major tourism destination would be developed in each state. Such projects will be chosen in coordination with the state government.

The ministry is going to recommend the government to include these programmes in the policy and programmes, and budget for the Fiscal Year 2020/21.

According to Minister Bhattarai, formation of Lumbini Development Authority,  split of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) into the regulatory and service provider agencies, formulation of Mountaineering and Mountain Institute Bill and tourism law are the priority projects for the next fiscal.

“The LDA will be created to implement the ‘Greater Lumbini’ on public-private-partnership model so that the development can be expedited,” he said. “Laws relating to unbundling of CAAN will be passed by the budget session of the parliament and the bill on tourism law will be created.”

Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Urban Development and other concerned agencies would be taken on board in order to support the tourism diversification and development with infrastructure building and launch of new products.

He said that Nepal should be promoted as the all season tourism destination contrary to the current seasonal tourism practices with tourist being attracted in the southern low-lands during winter, and in the hills and mountains during summer.

Minister Bhattarai said that the coming year would also be used in creating a sound database of tourism sector. “We have a very poor database system and do not get necessary data at the time when we need it as we are in trouble to gauge the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the workers and staff of the industry,” he said.

NAC will be a public limited entity

Minister Bhattarai also aims at converting the ailing national flag carrier, Nepal Airlines Corporation, into a public limited company and inviting a strategic partner to rescue from its vicious cycle of failure and mismanagement. Management restructuring and fleet enhancement are in the priority.

Likewise, policy for inter-state flight service with the upgrading of the key airports in each state is also being proposed.

Tourism leave is also in the lists of the policy for the next fiscal.

 “Foreigners will not come immediately after the coronavirus pandemic so we have to focus on domestic tourism. We have planned to facilitate all staff of the government and private sector in going for at least a week’s vacation. It will help rehabilitate the hotel and transportation industry,” said Minister Bhattarai.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 8 May 2020.