Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, May 9:

Commemorating the first successful ascend of Mt Manaslu, Gorkha Tourism organised a programme here today to celebrate the event. Speaking on the occasion, Badri Maskey, president of Gorkha Tourism Development Committee said, "despite many tourist attractions in Nepal, we lack to attract more tourists, due to lack of proper tourism promotion programmes." There is a need to introduce schemes to attract more tourists, he added.

If tourism industries could be promoted, the living standard of the people could also be standardised, which would ultimately help supporting government policy of poverty reduction, said Deepak Mahat president of Trekking Agency Association of Nepal (TAAN). he assured that TAAN will actively involve with Gorkha Tourism to celebrate the golden jubilee celebrations of Mt Manaslu.

"We have magnets to attract tourist in Nepal but we lack proper formulation of policy and its implementations. If we could advertise with a systematic approach, we would certainly succeed to boost the tourism industry," said Tek Bahadur Dangi, chief executive officer of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). There is a need of annual calendar marking the international events so the tourist could get the information on where and when what kind of programme is being organised Dangi added. Professor Jay Raj Acharya said that the successful ascending of Mt Manaslu holds a moral and emotional attraction to the Japanese. "Manaslu was conquered when Japan was suffering a post-war effect and this successful climbing has taught them many lessons. We can get great assistance from Japan to celebrate the golden jubilee." Toshio Imanishi, a Japanese and Galden Sherpa, a Nepali successfully climbed the 8,163 metre high Mt Manaslu in May 9, 1956.