KATHMANDU: The Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) and Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) completed Shanghai and Beijing promotional campaigns yesterday. The team is in Shanghai to promote Nepal in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong

Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Sarad Singh Bhandari and Nepali ambassador to

the People’s Republic of China Tanka Prasad Karki and joint secretary of MOTCA Pursottam Paudel took part in the Beijing campaign coordinated

by the Nepal Embassy in Beijing. There were more than 100 tour operators and media who actively interacted with the Nepali Tour operators in Beijing, said the NATTA.

Similarly, more than

90 Chinese tour operators including the media

personals joined the meeting in Shanghai.

Similarly, ambassador Karki highlighted Nepal as the birth place of Lord Buddha and the great potential China holds for Nepal in Tourism.

Meanwhile, NTB and Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) also organised a press meet on September 1 at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) at Bangkok to promote Nepal Tourism Year 2011 (NTY 2011). They were briefed on Nepal’s peace process, the road map of the country regarding Foreign Investment in tourism industry and the challenges it

faces in consolidating

the peace process, tourism potentiality and the

economic transformation of the country.

Bhandari formally launched Nepal Tourism Year -2011 programme internationally in Bangkok.

CEO of NTB Prachanda Man Shrestha, made a presentation on theme: one million tourists in NTY-2011. Nepali ambassador to Thailand Naveen Prakah Jung Shah,

president of HAN Prashiddha Bahadur Pandey, president of Thai Travel

Agents Association, director of Tourism Authority of Thailand and many more were present on the occasion.

Sino-Nepal trade fair starts

XIGAZE: Chinese and Nepali businesses gathered in Xigaze City in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region on Thursday for a five-day long trade fair that highlights Buddha statues, Tibetan medicine and other commodities from the Himalayan region.

A total of 171 businesses from the two countries have set up booths at the fair that opened Thursday morning at the Mt Qomolangma Exhibition Centre in Xigaze — at the foot of the world’s tallest peak.

Most of the Nepali businesses have brought traditional artwork, textile products and food, while Chinese companies are displaying herbs, art-ware and electrical appliances. “The trade fair is expected to further boost Nepal’s trade relations and cultural exchanges with China,” said Purushottam Ojha, secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies. “It will enhance the two countries’ traditional friendship, expand trade and promote economic and technical exchanges,” said Deng Xiaogang, vice-chairman of Tibet’s regional government.

The Nepali ministry signed a memorandum of understanding

(MoU) with Tibet’s regional government on Wednesday. According to the MoU, the two sides would establish

a trade coordination committee to promote trade and investment

by simplifying procedures in customs clearance, transportation and other aspects. The committee will meet annually in Lhasa and Kathmandu every alternative year and the first meeting will be held in six months. — Xinhua