Kathmandu, August 27

The Department of Tourism today handed over work responsibilities to the provincial governments.

In order to practise federalism in the department and also conduct work efficiently, DoT has delegated responsibility to provincial governments, said Dandu Raj Ghimire, director general of the department.

The work responsibility was handed over during the fourth meeting of the main committee of Visit Nepal Year 2020 campaign committee.

The work responsibility has been handed over to the seven tourism offices of seven provinces located at Kakarbhitta in Jhapa, Namche (Solukhumbu), Janakpur (Dhanusha), Birgunj (Parsa), Bhairahawa (Rupandehi), Pokhara (Kaski) and Kohalpur in Banke. Likewise, policy-related works have been handed over to provincial ministers of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment of all seven provinces.

The DoT has also handed over all the documents and records of mountaineering and tourism activities of the country to the provincial governments. The department has provided all the details of the 361 hotels, 92 homestays, 85 rafting agencies, 3,262 travel agencies, 2,417 trekking agencies, 214 river guides, 172 trekking porter guides, 79 tourist transportation services, 12,981 trekking guides and 2,701 tourist guides to provincial governments.

Along with this handover, from September 18, all government work related to travel and trekking can be processed from the nearest administrative offices.

The provincial governments will now issue and renew licences of travel, trekking and rafting agencies along with tourist transportation services, hotels and homestay businesses. Similarly, tour guides, trekking guides, trekking porter guides

and river guides can receive or renew working licence from the provincial government.

“Now the beneficiaries do not have to visit Kathmandu for every work related to travel and trekking,” DG Ghimire said, adding, “This service will benefit the public and also help complete the works efficiently.”