Tourism Ministry preparing for post-pandemic tourism promotion in Nepal

KATHMANDU, AUGUST 31

Aiming at post-pandemic tourism promotional activities, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has started infrastructure development project.

A meeting held today at the ministry has directed Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) to study the probability of building tourism infrastructure surrounding Kathmandu valley that can accommodate around 500,000 tourists.

As per the press statement issued by the ministry, Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai has directed NTB to study the possibility of building trekking trails and trails for cycling, among other touristic activities, within Kathmandu valley and along its periphery. Similarly, he has also directed the tourism board to establish its provincial branches in all seven provinces in coordination with the respective provincial governments.

Moreover, NTB has been directed to prepare promotional digital presentations in Nepali, Hindi, Chinese, Arabian, Portuguese and Spanish languages to promote destinations. “The minister has directed NTB officials during today’s meeting to prepare virtual tour packages of national heritage sites, mountains, trekking routes, museums and national parks,” reads the statement.

Besides, Tourism Minister Bhattarai has also directed NTB to avoid domestic and foreign tours for promotions and instead focus on the digital platform for such activities.

He also requested the board to begin psycho-social counselling sessions for tourism workers and entrepreneurs as they have been demotivated due to the losses that they have borne. The workers and entrepreneurs should be discouraged from migrating, the minister said during the meeting.

He further directed tourism promotional offices in several countries to begin preparations for promotional activities and to expand their networking as well.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on September 1, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.