Apropos of the news story “Biz Briefs: Fairfield by Marriott” (THT, June 1, Page 10), the press circular of one of the world’s best brand crows the usual and regular hotel services such as rooms, food, drinks, meeting space, wi-fi and a convenience store like in the ancient Oberoi Tower in Mumbai or downtown hotels in Japan or Macau. The name is a big brand, but could be of a different category than the JW Marriott in KL and the Marriott in Sydney that can intimidate people not used to life in real hotels. The most important puzzle missing in the release is how Fairfield by Marriott will help contribute to promotion of tourists in Nepal. A new hotel must be able to bring new business by the dozen rather than going on fishing expedition in stagnant Nepali tourism pond. It would be good if the concerned authorities can ask all new hotels to submit business plans detailing the benefits the country will receive from their entry. Chasing embassies, NGOs, Nepali corporate houses, government offices, travel agencies, odd walk-ins, poaching competitors’ business by undercutting should not be a hallmark of a world-class brand. They ought to be doing something different and grand to attract high-end luxury tourists.

Manohar Shrestha, Kathmandu

Terrorism

It is nerve-racking to see what’s going on in the world that we live in. It was a time and people used to think Europe was a safe haven for many reasons such as economic, political, religious, and the list goes on and on. And this was the reason why people around the world have made Europe their migration destination for several decades. But the current situation of Europe seems to be desperate because of the rampant terrorist network across Europe. There have been numerous attacks in European countries like France, Belgium, the United Kingdom and so on. The attacks have been kept going one after another. The news of scores of deaths becomes a hackneyed thing for newspapers to cover because of the normalcy of killing cult. The Western Hippocratic ideology is that they always blame what’s written in the Koran for the debacle of the Western values and democracy just because of American motivated foreign policy that they embrace for dismantling the Middle East. The Wahhabism is nothing other than their political excuse to invade the oil rich nations. In my opinion it is time for the Western nations to believe in karma for what can be done to understand and find the solution to this problem which may otherwise remain as a generational anxiety for the human race. Disrespect for others’ cultures and religions and over-exploitation of natural resources, oil and minerals for example, for the economic benefit of the Western countries have fueled tensions in the Middle East and many other African countries where people cannot reap benefits from the resources that they have.

Shiva Neupane, Melbourne