Kathmandu/Pokhara, January 2:

Tourism entrepreneurs of Pokhara, who exuded optimism about the improvement in tourism industry after the end of armed conflict, are once again disappointed due to the transport strike continuing in Pokhara for the past two days. Hundreds of tourists, who had come to celebrate New Year, are stranded in Pokhara because of the dispute between transport entrepreneurs and transport workers.

Tourists had to endure lots of difficulties on the very first day of Visit Pokhara Year (VPY) yesterday when the transport service went haywire because of the transport workers’ strike.

The transport workers have been obstructing traffic in Pokhara along the Prithvi Highway saying they were not included in the meeting held on Sunday to solve the on-going dispute between Tourist Bus Entrepreneurs’ Committee and Prithvi Highway Bus Entrepreneurs’ Committee, over carrying Nepali passengers in tourist buses. Both domestic and foreign tourists, who had come to participate in the eighth Pokhara Street Festival, organised by Restaurant and Bar Association Nepal (REBAN), could not go outside Pokhara due to the strike.

Meanwhile, tourism entrepreneurs of Pokhara have urged all sectors to contribute in making VPY 2007 a grand success.

Sundar Kumar Shrestha, chairman of Pokhara Tourism Council said that tourism entrepreneurs’ solely will not be able to make VPY a success. He urged all sectors to contribute, saying that su-ccess of VPY will guarantee development of transportation, agriculture and other sectors.

Tara Niraula, marketing officer of Hotel Khukuri urged all concerned not to organise protest programmes such as chakka jams and bandhs during the period of VPY 2007. Shree Lal Subedi, president of REBAN said transportation service should be well managed to make VPY 2007 successful and added that flights linking Pokhara to other cities should also be increased for the purpose.

In Kathmandu, tourism organisations including Nepal Association of Tour & Travel Agents (NATTA) and Nepal Association of Tour Operators (NATO) have condemned the disruption.

Hari Sarmah, CEO, NATTA, said it was unfortunate that no sooner has the ‘VPY’ been launched than the differences between the bus entrepreneurs and workers has resulted in this breakdown of conveyance, leaving tourists in particular, stranded in the city.

NATO also condemned the impromptu ‘Chakka Jam’ in Pokhara and obstruction of traffic on Prithvi highway. It said that tourists visiting Pokhara faced great hardships on the inaugural day of ‘VPY 2007. Some tourists who were on way to celebrate the New Year were left stranded on road for hours. Such inconveniences faced by them is a matter of grave concern for the entire tourism industry, they observed.

“If such events continue, the industry will never be able to promote Nepal,” says a NATO press release. “Therefore, all tourism associations have strongly appealed to take immediate steps to address the ever-present problem of bandhs and chakka jams and make a conducive environment for the industry to flourish.”

Traffic resumes

POKHARA: Traffic along the Prithvi Highway has resumed from this evening, following the talks between agitating transport workers and bus entrepreneurs in coordination of the local administration. However, the talks between the agitating workers and entrepreneurs is going on, said Bimal Prasad Dhakal, CDO of Kaski.—HNS