Nepal among one of the major tourist destinations in the world, is also the center for numerous adventure activities such as trekking, mountaineering, rafting, mountain biking, Para-gliding, jungle safaris etc. To primarily focus on the tourism sector and to promote Nepal internationally, government of Nepal has declared the year 2011 is to be celebrated as ‘Nepal Tourism Year – 2011’. The prime objective of this campaign is substantial growth of the tourism industry attracting more than a million tourists. It has become obligatory to revive Nepal’s image as the prime tourist destination since peace & stability have been re-stored in the country. Thus, to further address this issue also, the ambitious campaign of ‘NTY 2011’ was announced in the wake of historical transformation and Finance Minister Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai announced it during the budget speech on 19th Sep’2008. The national campaign of ‘Nepal Tourism Year – 2011’ aims to once again rejuvenate the Nepalese tourism industry and establish it as the country’s economic backbone. 

Focusing on the magnitude of such campaign, government has adequate plans and thought-out strategies. A main organizing committee under the convener ship of Hon’ble Minister for Tourism & Civil Aviation together with the Joint convener ship of the Hon’ble vice Chairmanship of National Planning Commission has already been formed.  This main organizing committee will have 61 members that includes various line Ministries & Departments, Chief of District Development Committees, Metropolitan, Sub-Metropolitan cities & Municipalities, presidents of travel trade as well as other related associations & institutions. There will be other invitees from various institutions/organizations.

The first meeting of the main committee was held in Kathmandu during 18th Jan’2009 where a proposal was forwarded to form various functional sub-committees in order to work-out specific strategies, programs, activities as well as budget. These proposed sub-committees are:

1. Policy Advocacy     2. Physical Infrastructure & coordination 
3. Product Improvement & Development   4. Events, festivals & activities coordination
5. Marketing, promotion & Publicity   6. Human Resource & Capacity Building
7. Aviation & Transport Coordination   8. Resources Mobilization & Monitoring 
9. Natural & Culture Heritages    10. Legal Affairs Coordination  
11. Diplomatic Relation Coordination    12. Political Affairs coordination Sub-Committee
13. Crisis Management & Security Coordination
14. Mountain Tourism coordination Sub-Committee

Similarly in all of the 5 development regions, different sub-committees will also be formed.  ‘Nepal Tourism Board’ is entrusted as the ‘Secretariat’ of ‘Nepal Tourism Year-20011’ and the Chief Executive Officer of NTB (Nepal Tourism Board) has been designated as the Member-Secretary of the committee. Related promotional activities for this campaign will be announced through a press conference.

The regional sub-committees are as follows:

1. Eastern Development Region Sub-Committee
2. Central Development Region Sub-Committee
3. Western Development Region Sub-Committee
4. Mid-western Development Region Sub-Committee
5. Far-western Development Region Sub-Committee

All of the respective Terms of Reference, Calendar of Events, Schedule of Programs, Action Plans & Budget for implementation will be carried out by the sub-committees. Private sector travel trade, tourism related institutions & individuals have also been encouraged by the secretariat for a voluntarily contribution though participation at the desired sub-committee. The invited members of the committee will be as below:

Representatives of Adventure Sports Tourism Society, Association of Media House, Association of Trans Himalayan Tour Operators, Nepal Municipality Association, District Development Committee Association, Village Development Committee Association, Computer Association of Nepal.

Prime objectives of ‘Nepal Tourism Year – 2011’

Establish Nepal as a choice of premier holiday destination with a definite brand image.
Improve & extend tourism related infrastructures in existing and new tourism sites.
Enhance the capacity of service providers.
Build community capacity in the new areas to cater the need of the tourists.
Promote domestic tourism for sustainability of industry.

Target

Achieve 1 million tourist arrivals.
Encourage additional investment on tourism infrastructures by 50%.
Maintain the record of domestic tourism.

Strategies

NTB (Nepal Tourism Board) will align the following programs & activities for the promotion besides functioning as a secretariat of ‘NTY 2011’.

Promote ‘NTY 2011’ in 12 prominent travel trade fairs in the major source markets like Europe, Australia, India, Bangladesh, Thailand & Malaysia as well as highlight ‘NTY 2011’ highlighted in the country focused programs being organized in Europe, Australia, China, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, and South Korea. These major source markets will be visited by a high level delegation along with Nepalese travel trade, interacting with local media and travel trade for effective promotion.

During the UFTAA Congress, being organized by NTB & NATTA in November 2010 in Kathmandu, ‘NTY 2011’ will be promoted.

Corporate houses in the source markets will be approached and invited to hold meetings, conferences and exhibitions (MICE).

On all the promotional gateways of NTB, NTY 2011 will be highlighted. Private sector travel trade, at home and abroad, will be requested to promote NTY 2011.

Promotional affiliations will be developed with Non-Resident Nepali Associations, Friends of Nepal, International Travel Trade Associations and Corporate Houses.

Artists, mountaineers, actors & other celebrities will be invited for further promotion.

From source countries like China, India, South East countries, Bangladesh and Europe, NTB (Nepal Tourism Board) 300 international journalists will be invited for FAM tour to highlight ‘NTY 2011’ in the international media. NTB is under process in sighing in MOU with international airlines flying to Nepal to promote Nepal internationally.

New posters & related brochures will be designed with a new web-site for NTY’2011 soon to be launched.

Upgrade of the Felicitation Desk at airport making it tourist friendly.

A special focus on Community tourism and Home Stay to diversify tourism movement into potential tourism areas of the country such as in Shree Antu Danda, Basantapur area, Khaptad, Rara, Gorkha etc.

NTB will develop trekking trails in the Mid-Western & Far-Western development regions in association with communities, local bodies and related institutions.

Training programs will be organized in new tourism areas

NTB will review and revise the existing Tourism Marketing Strategy 2005-2020 in line with the targets declared by the government.

Apart from NTB’s above plans, the following plans are also included:

Visa Fee Waived: To allure and draw the highest possible amount of tourists, the Tourism Ministry is planning to waive the visa fee in 2011 for those tourists who visit Nepal more than once during the year 2011.

Better Air Connectivity: To encourage more visitors to Nepal, the national flag carrier (Nepal Airlines) is going to extend it’s air-service from Riyadh, Lhasa, Gwanjhau, Frankfurt and London into Nepal by the end of 2010. From this March, flights to & from Mumbai, Shanghai and Tokyo are starting.

Infrastructure Developments in TIA (Tribhuvan International Airport): Various infrastructure developments have been planned to uplift the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). These include; Discounts granted for landing and parking except during the peak hours, construct a Ground Support Equipment Parking Area Extension, implementation of ‘Common Users Terminal (CUTE)’ etc.

Mountaineering: Since mid August’2008, Mountaineering expeditions had been receiving a discount on the mountaineering royalties, this policy will continue for another 5 years.  To develop tourism in Terai, a plan to promote Terai region is also underway.

Promotional Packages: The government is planning to launch special promotional packages in the USA, Europe, Japan, Australia, South-East Asia, Middle-East Asia and neighboring China & India through high level Nepalese delegation teams

Promotional Activities: For the further promotion of ‘NTY-2011’ various international promotional activities will be carried out by the Nepal Tourism Board that includes ‘sales missions’ and ‘road shows’ in the countries where the possibilities of tourism is high. Likewise FAM tour of international journalists to Nepal, high level delegation to different countries to interact with the travel trade and media there.

Tourism facilities: Further tourists facilities will be added with improved capacity of hotels and other required services for tourists as well as creating community capacity to meet the needs of tourist and promoting domestic tourism also.

We very much wish ‘Nepal Tourism Year-2011’ will be a successful campaign in uplifting the Nepalese tourism industry as well as winning new tourism potential markets, enhance a better air connectivity, encourage private sectors for investment in tourism industry including lobby with the government for sufficient budget allocation to improve & expand tourism related activities infrastructures in the existing & new tourism areas.