Govt prepares Tourism Recovery Action Plan

Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has prepared Tourism Recovery Action Plan to bring the tourism industry back on track at the earliest.

The ministry submitted the action plan for approval to Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on Wednesday. The action plan includes immediate, mid-term and long term reconstruction, relief and package program for the tourism industry.

According to the ministry, the earthquake caused loss of Rs 5 billion to the tourism sector.
Suresh Man Shrestha, secretary of MoCTCA, said that the action plan has been prepared to rebuild and rehabilitate cultural heritage sites, tourist areas and trekking trails damaged by the earthquake of April 25 and subsequent aftershocks. "It's not that all tourist areas have been damaged by the earthquake. We have to make package programs to promote tourist areas that have not been affected by the earthquake," Shrestha said, adding, "We plan to display huge pictures of cultural heritage sites, taken before they were destroyed by the quake, beside the monuments which collapsed in the earthquake."

Shrestha also said tourists will be allowed to visit heritage sites while reconstruction works go on.

MoCTCA also plans to rebuild around a dozen trekking routes. "We have made phase-wise plan for reconstruction as earthquake has damaged cultural heritages, trekking routes, hotels and homestay facilities," said Rajendra Sigdel, under-secretary of MoCTCA who is looking after the action plan, said. "In the first phase, our focus will be on rehabilitation of trekking trails, hotels and home stay facilities."

The government has listed trekking trails like Dhunche-Gosaikunda-Helambu, Syafrubesi-Langtang-Kyanjin, Larke Pass-Chekampar, Tsum Valley, Kalinchowk-Bigu Gumba-Charikot, Gaurishankar and Lamabagar, Jiri-Khumbu, Annapurna Circuit, Dhaulagiri trekking route and Dhorpatan trekking routes in priority list for reconstruction.

"There is a need for changing trekking routes in some areas due to landslide," said Sigdel, adding that the ministry has estimated the cost for reconstruction of trails, bridge, and stop points at around Rs 400 million.

Department of Tourism (DoT), 13 tourism promotion committees and seven tourism offices will work to revive the tourism industry, according to a statement issued on Wednesday.

MoCTCA plans to allocate budget directly to the concerned Village Development Committees (VDCs) to begin rehabilitation works as early as possible.

"The ministry plans to start rebuilding trekking routes at the earliest with an aim to complete the work within two years," Sigdel said, adding, "We will make effective package to promote tourism products, which has not suffered any damage, in the international market to bring in tourists for the coming season."

Meanwhile, the Tourism Recovery Committee, which was formed a few days ago, is sending technical teams in different trekking areas to assess the damage made by the earthquake.

Shrestha said that the ministry will request the private sector to make different packages of tourism products like Kanchenjunga, Sagarmatha, Lumbini, Karnali and Khaptad, among others, which has not suffered any damage, and promote them in the international market. "We have to sell what we have at present. The government will also use diplomatic channels to promote unaffected areas," he added.

MoCTCA has also requested the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Ministry of Finance to exempt customs duty while importing construction materials for renovation of hotels and resorts. It has also requested the finance ministry to provide loans to hotels and resorts, like individuals homes, at 2 percent interest rate.

Meanwhile, the Department of Archaeology has sought Rs 2 billion for two years to rebuild cultural heritage sites destroyed by the earthquake.

Source: myRepublica