One tourist generates employment for 12 people: Rifai

Entry of one tourists in a particular country provides employment to 12 people, according to UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) secretary general Taleb Rifai.
"In the context of Nepal, as it a developing country, the number may be more," he said, addressing a meeting with Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) here in the Valley.
The secretary general is in Nepal visit for Nepal Tourism Year 2011 official inauguration ceremony that was on January 14. The national campaign aims at hosting one million tourists.
On that occasion, Rifai also highlighted the role of World Tourism Organisation that was established in 1940 for the development and growth of tourism -- especially responsible tourism and its sustainability."One of the major responsibilities of UNWTO has been to collect, evaluate and analyse the data of tourism that has been professionally taken as a basis for planning, research and project formulation throughout the world," he said, adding that UNWTO will always be supportive to the programme initiated by Hotel Association Nepal and with other associations too.
On the occasion, president of HAN Prasidha Bahadur Panday welcoming Rifai informed of the various programme of HAN in the context of Nepal Tourism Year 2011 and the challenges to make it success."The tourism organisations of Nepal are very much hopeful to get the support from UNWTO," Pandey said, adding that presence of the UNWTO secretary general at the inauguration ceremony of NTY 2011 is a positive message that has very much encouraged to work together for the success of NTY 2011.
The inaugural ceremony of the much-hyped national campaign was attended by about 8,000 guests including President, Prime Minister, Ministers, laeders of political parties inlcuding Puspakamal Dahal 'Prachanda' chairman of UCPN-Maoits, Jhalanath Khanal chairman of CPN-UML, the chiar of Constituent Assembly and high level bureaucrats, inlcuding the international digniteries from SAARC countries, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Kuwait and Iran.Th campaign with slogan 'Together for Tourism' to 'Tourism for Prosperity' and 'Prosperity for Stability' – identifying tourism as the means to achieve economic prosperity that will consequently bring political stability has started with a 'Eternal Lamp from Lumbini that was passed through the private sectors' representatives, labour union representatives and through the political leaders and taken to the Mt Amadublam.
Similarly, national coordinator of NTY 2011 Yogendra Sakya has also spoke about the programmes of NTY 2011 and requested to consider NTY 2011 slogan 'Together for Tourism' as a theme for this year's World Tourism Day also.
Tourism entrepreneur Bikram Pandey, on the occasion, informed about the main characteristics of Nepal's tourism sector.