Sunday, August 12, 2012

HAN to pressurise government for regional airports


Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) has decided to pressurise the government to construct regional airports in Pokhara and Lumbini.
Issuing a three-point Colombo Declaration during its half-yearly meeting in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, the association also decided to ask the government to allow hotels and resorts to operate inside Chitwan National Park, and ensure HAN's representation in the board of Nepal Tourism Board.
The association conducted its meeting in Colombo to make Visit Lumbini Year a success and to attract more Sri Lankan tourists to the country. “HAN also wanted to attract investment in the tourism sector by organising a meeting in a foreign land.”
In the meeting, HAN concluded that the reception of international tourists at Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) is rudimentary.
The meeting also discussed that the country is yet to develop infrastructure for tourism sector and formulate a tourism-oriented foreign policy, HAN said, adding that the Colombo meeting also raised some crucial issues including frequent strikes, facilities for tourism related industries, exemption of Value Added Tax for the tourism sector and others.
The Nepali tourism industry can witness a rapid growth as seen in Sri Lanka if the government recognises the tourism sector as an industry with national priority, said president of the association Shyam Sundar Lal Kakshapati.
The association also organised a press meet in Sri Lanka to inform the possibilities of the tourism industry in Nepal. Representatives of HAN also mentioned that Nepal and Sri Lanka should start direct flights to boost tourism activities.
The HAN team also held discussions with Sri Lankan government officials and tourism entrepreneurs to inform them about the possibilities of investment in Nepal, it added.
Joint secretary at the Investment Board Mukunda Paudel highlighted the possible sectors for investment in Nepal and the policies adopted by the government to attract foreign investment.

Nepal Evening in Colombo
KATHMANDU: Hotel Association Nepal organised a special 'Nepal Evening' in Sri Lanka during their half-yearly meeting in Colombo with an objective to attract investment and increase the number of Sri Lankan tourists to Nepal. On the occasion, vice chairman of the Sri Lankan Parliament Chandima Birakodi, said that the friendly relation between the two countries will be made stronger through tourism. He further said that a large number of tourists could be attracted from India, China and third countries by preparing an integrated tourism package from both the countries as Nepal is surrounded by the Himalayas and Sri Lanka by sea, and expressed confidence that it would help in the economic development of both the countries. Similarly, Nepali ambassador to Sri Lanka Sushil Chandra Amatya, expressed that a large number of Buddhist tourists from Sri Lanka would attend the Visit Lumbini Year-2012 celebrations if there were direct air services between the two countries.

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