Tourism news From taan

Vol:-14		July 15, 2008 Year IV
» Tourism master plan for far-western region » Tourist arrival up in Bouddhanath » Pokhara tourism worried by Jomsom Road » Winner of global digital photo contest declared » TAAN, NATTA meet tourism secretary over Tibet issues » New ad-hoc committee formed in NMA Tourism master plan for far-western region With the objective of promoting tourism in Khaptad and other surrounding areas, Khaptad Area Tourism Development Committee (KATDC) is preparing a master plan after identifying major tourist destinations in the Far-Western Region. Experts Rabijang Pandey, Sharad Regmi Umesh Mandal are interacting with local stakeholders in different district headquarters of the region to collect inputs for the master plan. The team has already conducted interactions in six different districts of Far-Western Region. Triveni of Khaptad, Khaptad Daha, Nagdhunga, Badimalika of Bajura, Surma Sarobar of Bajhang, Ugratara of Dadeldhura and Tripura River of Baitadi have already been identified as potential tourism destination in the far-western region. 'We will make master plan considering the tourism attractions and facilities for the visitors. It may take more than year and we will again discuss it and finalise it,' said Rabijang Pandey, chief of the team. Tourist arrival up in Bouddhanath Tourist arrival in Bouddhanath Stupa has increased in the first six months of 2008 by 6.52% as compared to the arrival figure of same period last year. According to the Bouddhanath Area Development Committee (BADC), a total of 61,232 foreign visitors visited Bouddhanath Stupa up to June this year. Only 54,168 foreign visitors had visited Bouddhanath in the same period last year. Dilip Kumar Lama, president of BADC, said that the number of visitors from the non-SAARC countries was recording a remarkable growth rate. By the month of June, the number of visitors from non-SAARC countries has increased by 20.6 percent against the same months last year. 'The visitors from Korea, Japan and Thailand come to visit Baudhanath area in a large scale,' Lama says. With the increase in tourist arrival, the revenue generated from the tourist arrival has also increased. According to Lama, BADC collected around Rs. 4.3 million in the first six months of 2008 which is an increment of 18.33 percent as compared to the same period last year. Bouddhnath is one of the biggest stupa in Nepal and it has been identified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Pokhara tourism worried by Jomsom Road Pokhara-based tourism entrepreneurs are worried that their investment of billions of rupees has become uncertain with the construction of road in Jomsom, encroachment of Fewa Lake and unplanned urbanisation of Pokhara Valley. Pokhara based tourism enterpreneurs also said that tourists' stay in Pokhara will shortened as they could not travel directly to Jomsom. Pokhara is eighter starting or ending point for many trekking routes in Annapurna Region. According to the entrepreneurs, almost 80% of total visitors to Pokhara go on trekking in Annapurna Region. Speaking at the 14th convention of Regional Hotel Association of Pokhara, Kali Bahadur Adhiakri, former board member of NTB, said the encroachment of natural heritage of Pokhara Valley was affecting the tourism industry. ''Pokhara is fast becoming a congested city due to unplanned urbanisation which has led to the obstruction of views of Machchapuchhre and other peaks from Pokhara. Pokhara will lose its charm if such things continue,' Adhikari added. As per the prevailing regulations, people are not allowed to construct buildings higher than two storeys to ensure the clear view of the Mount Machhapuchhere from all sides of Pokhara. But the people are violating the rules and regulations. People are even encroaching Fewa Lake and even the city sewerage is flown into the Fewa Lake. Fewa Lake is also getting polluted with the ever spreading water-hyacinth. Winner of global digital photo contest declared Prem Hang Banem has won 'Global Digital Photo Contest (GDPC) 2008 organsied by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) on the occasion of their silver jubilee anniversary. Banem was awarded ICIMOD Hindu Kush Himalayan Prize while Rajesh Sharma and Rabindra Roy won Special Mention awards. 'The Global Digital Photo Contest 2008 received 1,102 entries from 336 contestants representing 65 countries,' said Ujol Sherchan, senior programme officer of Mountain Forum Secretariat and coordinator of the GDPC 008. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Andreas Schild, director general of ICIMOD, emphasized on the need of using photos as a visual tool for outreach and sensitise the public about the changing mountain world, especially in the context of climate change and globalization. TAAN, NATTA meet tourism secretary over Tibet issues A delegation of Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) and Nepal Association of Tours and Travel Agents (NATTA) met secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) and apprised him of the losses that the industry incurred with the closure of Tibet Autonomous Region of China. The delegation also requested secretary Poudel to take initiatives and formally request the Chines authorities to start issuing visa from Nepal. Secretary Poudel said that he was aware of the implications of Tibet closure and he would help raise the issue at government's level. China had stopped foreign visitors from visiting Tibet after riots in Lhasa in mid-March. Though it said that Tibet has been opened to foreign visitors from July, Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu is yet to issue any visa to foreign visitors. Approximately, 20,000 foreigners travel to Tibet from Nepal every year. New ad-hoc committee formed in NMA Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) on July 07, 2008, formed a new ad-hoc committee with its chairman and ex-officio members after other members of the executive committee resigned. The members resigned after Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN), trekking agents, mountaineers and mountaineering workers disrupted its election process for second consecutive time in a month. The formation of ad-hoc committee has paved the way for the peaceful solution for the ongoing dispute between TAAN and NMA. The five-member ad-hoc committee has Mr. Ang Tshering Sherpa as chairman and Jyoti Adhikari, president of TAAN; Bikram Neupane, president of Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA), representative from Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) and Tashi Jangbu Sherpa, immediate past president of NMA. The ad-hoc committee will nominate 16 more members: three each from TAAN and NMA; one each from members of task force of TAAN and NMA; representatives from Everest Summiters' Association (ESA), Nepal Mountaineering Instructors' Association (NMIA), Nepal National Mountain Guide Association (NNMGA), Women Mountaineering Association (WMA) and Nepal Mountaineering Federation (NMF); one famouns mountaineers; and one each from two mountaineering workers' unions. The ad-hoc committee will form NMA Statute Amendment Recommendation Committee which will recommend amendments in NMA's statue within six months. Then the ad-hoc committee will hold election of the new executive committee. It is learnt that the ad-hoc committee will address all demands put forth by TAAN, mountaineers and mountaineering workers. TAAN and NMA are believed to have agreed to float group membership i.e NMA general members, trekking agents, chapter members, mountaineers, workers etc. Such groups will select delegates who will have the rights to vote in NMA's annual general meetings. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) MEDIA CENTER P.O.Box.: 3612, Ganesthan, Maligaun, Kathmandu Phone : 0977-1-4427473, 4440920, 4440921 Fax: 0977-1-4419245 Email: taan@mail.com.np URL: http://www.taan.org.np