Entrepreneurs worry about repercussions

KATHMANDU:

Tourism entrepreneurs are worried about repercussions of the earthquake in tourism industry and have started doing the homework for its revival. As per tourism entrepreneurs, the sector may be hit harder during the tourist season this year, which starts from September, if they fail to do the needful to attract tourists.

Entrepreneurs have suggested Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) — the dedicated body for tourism promotion set up in public-private partnership — to lobby with government for the discount on visa fees, discounts on airfare of Nepal Airlines (national flag carrier) that makes flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur. Likewise, entrepreneurs have also been designing attractive tourism packages to attract more tourists to the country. Moreover, NTB has much to do to ease the daunting task of reviving the tourism sector.

NTB, which has just spent 10 per cent of its budget so far this year, can utilise its budget to introduce more promotional packages, according to Prabesh Aryal, executive director of Hotel Association Nepal. He presented the example of Thailand, which had made one-way (arrival) airfare free to Bangkok after massive Tsunami of 2009, for the revival of tourism sector there.

Source: THT