Kathmandu, March 15
Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Sudan Kirati has laid emphasis on the collection of accurate data for accelerated growth of the tourism industry. Stating that the mega programmes and plans which are not based on factual real-time data have proved to be ineffective and impractical, he said that tourism information, data, and statistics are invaluable assets that can be used effectively for taking tourism to the next level.
"Such knowledge can be used to increase the expenditure and length of stay of tourists, thereby further generating income and employment for poverty alleviation, regional economic development, increasing tourist arrival figures, and ensuring quality tourism," the minister said while addressing the opening ceremony of a three-day, 'UNWTO Regional Workshop on Measuring Tourism, Better Data for Better Tourism in Asia and the Pacific,' jointly organised by United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), MoCTCA, and the Nepal Tourism Board here today.
Stating that tourism, the backbone of the world economy, was one of the most affected sectors by the COVID-19 pandemic, he emphasised the need to uplift tourism through the development and diversification of products to ensure prompt and steady recovery of tourism, and added that Nepal too has initiated the implementation of 'Tourism Satellite Account' system with the support of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
"As we progress towards a digitised age, access to realtime data and in-depth analysis are essential in the tourism sector. There is a necessity for continuous research on identifying new tourist products, increase in investment, and development of integrated tourism infrastructure as well as to ensure that the benefits of tourism reach the communities and the grass-roots level. Similarly, we must focus on quality tourism in addition to increasing tourist arrival figures for employment generation and equity in the distribution of benefits from tourism for poverty alleviation, through promotion in the domestic and international markets," the minister said, adding that the government must also work in close collaboration and cooperation with the private and non-government sectors in an efficient way.
Similarly, Sarmila Parajuli Dhakal, ambassador of Nepal to Spain, said that measuring tourism is crucial to understand its impacts on the economy, society, and environment. "The policymakers and tourism stakeholders can get insights through collected data and statistics to make informed decisions, design effective policies and monitor the effectiveness of their actions. Nepal offers unique opportunities in the tourism sector with its natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, and warm hospitality, the country also has the potential to become one of the leading tourism destinations in the world. We must focus on rebranding and effective marketing strategies."
By promoting tourism products like adventure tourism, cultural tourism, spiritual tourism, eco-tourism, and educational tourism, among others, Nepal could attract a wider range of tourists to the country, she said. "Developing tourism infrastructure is equally important to provide better access to tourists and ensure that they have the overall tourist experience and attract more business to Nepal. We invite investors from around the world to invest in Nepal's tourism infrastructure. Our focus is on sustainable tourism practices, prioritising environmental protection, and increasing community involvement. Such practices are crucial to ensure tourism growth is inclusive and benefits both visitors and local communities," she said.
She further informed that the embassy of Nepal in Madrid has set a goal of welcoming 100,000 visitors from Spain into the country.
Welcoming all those present at the event, Ram Kumar Phuyal, a member of the National Planning Commission of Nepal, said that the country is in the preliminary phase of preparing a tourism satellite account, which is one of the key devices for measuring the contributions of different sectors of tourism in one single system of national accounting. "Our foremost objective in this sector is to develop Nepal as one of the most effective tourism destinations by making it safe, increasing the contribution of tourism in the economy by diversifying tourism destinations and products.
Furthermore, extending his gratitude for choosing Nepal to host the event to UNWTO, Dhananjay Regmi, chief executive officer of NTB, asserted that the Himalayan region is very sensitive to global and local conditions, and he shared his belief that the three-day workshop will have insightful presentations and discussions will lead towards better plans and possible collaboration and cooperation at an international and national levels.
A high-level panel discussion on 'Measuring Tourism for People, Planet and Prosperity' was also held today, which was moderated by Eunji Tae, officer for Regional Department for Asia and the Pacific, UNWTO with panelists Ahmed Salih, state minister of tourism, Maldives; Suresh Adhikari, secretary for MoCTCA, Nepal; Thok Sokhom, secretary of state, ministry of tourism, Cambodia; NTB CEO Regmi; Pudji Ismartini, deputy chief of distribution and services statistics, BPS-Statistics Indonesia; Beka Jekeli, director of external relations, UNWTO; and Ayshanie Labe, resident representative, UNDP.
The discussion was held on the importance of accurate and reliable data to understand the impact of tourism and develop sustainable sources of policies for the sector's development.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 16, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
