Nepal na-eme ememme ụbọchị njem nlegharị anya ụwa

The 41st World Tourism Day 2020 is being observed with the slogan “Tourism and Rural Development” emphasizing on the tourism sector’s huge potentiality of steering the economic development to bridge the gap between the people who come from small communities and big cities on September 27th, 2020. 

To observe the day, the Nepal Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) jointly organized a tree plantation program in the Manjushree Park in Chobar hill, Kathmandu in the early morning on September 27.  Inaugurating the program, Minister for Culture Tourism and Civil Aviation Mr. Yogesh Bhattarai planted various species of tree saplings on the premises of the park. Speaking at the program, Minister for Culture Tourism and Civil Aviation Bhattarai said that the Chobar hill can be developed as one of the attractive tourism destinations in Kathmandu so that the people living in the valley and nearby surrounding areas get engaged in recreational activities and enjoy the nature and environment.  

He expressed his commitment to working in joint collaboration and coordination with the federal government and local stakeholders for the development of Chobar hill and integrating it along with the development of other tourism sites in the valley.   Minister also shared his plan of launching strategies for the survival of the tourism industry on a phase-wise basis so that the negative impact of COVID-19 and losses incurred by the businesses can be recovered. Minister Bhattarai added that the promotion of domestic tourism is one of the strategies to be adopted for the survival of the industry by the year 2021. The program was attended by the Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Mr. Kedar Bahadur Adhikary, high-ranking officials of the Ministry, representatives of NTB among others. 

Likewise, the virtual webinar was organized jointly by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, and Nepal Tourism Board in the afternoon on Sunday, September 27.  At the discussion, Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Mr. Yogesh Bhattarai emphasized on transforming tourism for the rural development as stated in the slogan of this year and generating employment, earning foreign currency by implementing the tourism strategies in a planned and sustainable manner. Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Mr. Kedar Bahadur Adhikary shed light on the importance of working in joint collaboration of federal, provinces, and local levels for launching the strategies in order to revive the tourism sector hit hard due to COVID-19.

Similarly, Chief Executive Officer of Nepal Tourism Board urged the tourism industry to walk together hand in hand through cooperation and collaboration to overcome the challenges and build back our communities as well as the global tourism industry for a sustainable and resilient future.  

At the meeting, an expert on the tourism sector Mr. Ravi Jung Pandey presented a paper on the opportunities and challenges faced by the tourism industry in the present time.    The virtual meeting moderated by Senior Director of NTB Hikmat Singh Ayer was participated in by the representatives of the private-sector working in the tourism sectors such as the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), Travel and Trekking Association of Nepal (TAAN), Nepal Association of Tours and Travel Agents (NATTA) and Nepal Mountaineering Academy ( NMA)  among other members from the tourism sector. 

The committee formed to award prizes to those making outstanding contributions in the tourism sector including the Mountaineers, Hotel entrepreneurs, Rescue Pilots was announced at the meeting.