Nepal Tourism Year 2011

Nepal Tourism Year 2011

Nepal has proclaimed the year 20011 as a major national tourism campaign, dubbed as
Nepal Tourism Year. The sole purpose of NTY 2011 is to re-energize the slackened industry
, and thereby give a vital boost to the ailing economy. The ambitious campaign, which aims
at least a million visitors in the upcoming year, was formally launched in the capital on
February 26 this year amidst a colourful jamboree attended by the prime minister, ministers,
political heavyweights, top bureaucarts, tourism entrepreneurs, and various cultural and
ethnic groups. The was indubitably, quite flamboyant and enthusiastic for it reflected a
cohesive and concerted publicprivate partnership, expressing a firm commitment to make the
campaign a major success.

Since the launch, the government seems to have forgotten the programme because all the
activities in the run up to NTY-2011 are being handled by either the public-private partn-
ership organisatin Nepal Tourism Board or the private sector associations. Especially, the
lead taken by the private sector associations. Especially, the lead taken by the private
sector must be praised. Under the largely ceremonial NTY Main Organising Committee, headed
by the tourism minister, seasoned tourism entrepreneurs have placed themselves in the
forefront, steering the programme Implementation Committee and various other sub-committes
at the national and local levels. This is a clear departure from our past experiences of
markedly government-dominated stewadship of tourism events and projucts. It has definitely
rekindled some hope.

The private sectors active engagement with the NTY campaign has given birth to some intere-
sting new concepts and approaches. The home-stay package is one of them that will not only
help address the constrains of hotel bed availability but also provide the visitors an oppor-
tunity to feel the native life-style and culture from up close. For this, the pacific Asia
Travel Association, and other private sector stakeholders have already started training local
communities on home-stay plans for rourists.