KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 18
CEO of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) Dhananjay Regmi has said that the frequent change in appointment of ministers and secretaries at the Ministry of Culture Tourism and Civil (MoCTCA) has affected the tourism projects in the country.
Speaking at a press meet today, CEO Regmi questioned the working style and efficiency of the ministers and staffers of the ministry.
Revealing the challenges posed by the coronavirus and the work NTB has done during the pandemic, CEO Regmi questioned the capacity of the ministers and staffers appointed at the ministry.
"Frequent change in authorities at MoCTCA has affected our projects," he said, "Each time we approach the ministry, we have to explain the same thing repeatedly as the ministers and secretaries keep on changing."
Moreover, sometimes the old staffers of the ministry also behave as if they don't know anything about the sector, he added.
He further said that to bring changes in the sector, the ministry itself should change its working system first.
During the press meet today, NTB unveiled the activities it carried out during the pandemic in last one year. During the pandemic, NTB worked on repatriating tourists by forming a Crisis Communication and Management Unit.
After the government lifted the lockdown, NTB formed 12 task forces to study the markets in South Asia, Buddhist countries, Europe, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, North America and China.
After the government allowed tourist activities to resume partially, NTB prepared health and hygiene protocols to increase people's movement with safety, Regmi said. NTB has prepared Mountain Tourism Protocol, Spa, Night Life Tourism Protocol, among other protocols so far.
"Amid this, we are conducting frequent virtual meeting with different countries to revive the tourism market," he added.
Likewise, NTB also signed an agreement with all seven provincial governments to form its provincial offices and to decentralise the responsibilities. Compiling the impact of covid-19 pandemic on tourism industry, NTB has also submitted a report to the government.
A version of this article appears in the print on February 19, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
