HAN signs agreement with Thai hoteliers
KATHMANDU:
Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Thai Hotels Association (THA) to strengthen mutual ties and facilitate partnership. The MoU was signed by First Vice President of HAN Amar Man Shakya and Vice President of THA Supawan Tanomkieatipume recently.
According to the MoU, the hotel associations of both the nations will work together to facilitate the liaison between member hotels. Similarly, both associations will work closely to share experiences regarding tourism sector and invite each other to various programmes. They will also partner in providing required training to produce and manage skilled human resources, as per a press statement issued here today.
The MoU signing ceremony, which was facilitated by the Thai Embassy in Nepal, saw participation of Thai Ambassador Kanthong Unakul, HAN President BK Shrestha, representatives of both hotel associations, and hotel entrepreneurs.
Separately, HAN had organised a banquet as part of Nepal-Thai Joint Tourism Promotion Initiative in Bangkok. An interaction programme had been conducted to facilitate around five dozen Nepali entrepreneurs and some 70 well acclaimed travel agents of Thailand. The participants in the programme had been provided 10 free coupons to various hotels located in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan and Lumbini. Thai Ambassador Unakul, NRN Association (Thailand)’s President Khagendra Dhakal, and the charge d’ affairs of Nepali Embassy in Bangkok were some prominent participants in the event, initiated as part of B2B programme.
The delegation from Nepal met with members of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). The Nepali team invited TAT officials to participate in the promotional programme of the birthplace of Gautam Buddha for Thai nationals. The TAT members expressed commitment in supporting promotion of Lumbini in Thailand.
The team from Nepal had also met officials of Tourism Council of Thailand during the visit. The council has membership of 13 tourism related organisations, including those run by the Thai government and private sector, among others.
HAN President Shrestha opined that the Thailand visit was extremely fruitful. He further said that the initiative taken by hotel entrepreneurs at their own expense in promoting Lumbini, when Nepal Tourism Board has been ineffective, is significant. The association had prepared special promotional tools on Buddha and Lumbini and distributed it in Thailand.
After Singapore, Thailand witnesses most tourist footfalls in Asia. Despite the political turmoil, the country is expecting 25.7 million tourists in 2014. The tourism sector contributes 22.7 per cent to the GDP of Thailand, while some 5.70 million people are directly employed in the sector.
HAN also successfully concluded its half yearly general meeting in Bangkok, as per its policy to hold the meeting outside Nepal. The meeting was participated by over five dozen hotel entrepreneurs. The meeting decided to give feasible recommendations following consultations with concerned stakeholders to attract two million tourists by 2020. The members discussed various issues, including amendment to HAN constitution, expansion and strengthening of its secretariat, among others.
Source: THT
