This is with reference to the news story “Tourist flow to return to normal only next year” (THT, July 1, Page 12). If Nepal wants to improve its share in tourism, it will have to play a more aggressive role.

For instance, the country’s numerous insurance outfits could offer inexpensive insurance policies to all

travellers visiting the country. Even if they forfeit their insurance cover at home because of the advisory, Nepal’s offer could encourage them to travel. After all, tourists are not necessarily looking to make money out of insurance. While it is true that tourists make travel plans months in advance, the internet has changed that for odd groups, family holidays, incentives and other travellers bypassing the travel operators. Indian travellers plan their holidays a fortnight or a month in advance around longer school or festival holidays. Nepal would do well to work on extensive marketing and selling through the internet to augment the share of this market. That said, the bulk of the tourist business comes to Nepal through a handful of international tour operators, mostly India-based ones, such as Le Passage to India. Retail business is more like a drop in the ocean. Nepali tourism could do well by organizing a tour operators’ conference on the similar lines as the donors’ conference by inviting top wholesalers of the world. Not all of them sell Nepal, but it is still worthwhile to invite them.

Manohar Shrestha, Kathmandu

Implement it

It is known to everybody that the recommendations made by the government formed different high level task forces have been hardly followed and implemented in the past.

Recently, the Kedar Bhakta Mathema-led high level task force formed by the government to address the

inconsistencies prevalent in medical education in the country has submitted its report with several

recommendations to Prime Minister Sushil Koirala. This task force was formed to address one of the demands put forward by Dr. Govind K.C. during his fast-onto-death protest staged in Kathmandu a few months ago. Several key recommendations have been made keeping in view the existing malpractices found in the field of medical education in the country. If the government sincerely implements these

recommendations, the chances of removing anomalies from medical education are very high. However, I see slim chances of implementation of these relevant recommendations in the near future based on the past records. Enrollment of students only on merit basis, opening of new medical colleges outside the Kathmandu Valley, formation of Health Education Council (HEC) under the chairmanship of PM and fixing the fee ceiling for MBBS course at NRs 3.5 million are the key recommendations, among

others. Time has come for the government and political parties to show determination to strictly follow and implement these recommendations without wasting time.

Otherwise, they will also have the same fate as other previous recommendations that were dumped somewhere.

Rai Biren Bangdel, Kathmandu