Hot on heels of this unprecedented crisis, the unemployment in the tourism sector has reached staggering levels. Many tourism workers are in dire straits.

Citing the unemployment crisis, the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) in collaboration with the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) is planning to create short-term employment for 1,000 tourism workers.

The NTB and TAAN inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect on Sunday.

The NTB has launched a project titled “Sustainable Tourism for Livelihood Recovery” with an aim to provide relief to the workers who lost their employment due to COVID-19 crisis.

Under the two-and-a-half year project, the Tourism Board is targeting to offer work ranging from around 70,000 man days to 100,000 man days, in support of the UNDP.

The project budget is estimated around USD 2.5 million. The NTB will provide USD 1 million and the remaining USD 1.5 million will be offered by the UNDP.

“We were hopeful that the project would help address the unemployment issue in the tourism sector a little bit and retain tourism businesses and workers,” said NTB Executive Director Dr. Dhananjaya Regmi.

The Tourism Board is also planning to create short-term employment opportunities for 50,000 workers in total in the near future.

The Board has already signed agreement with the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAAN), Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA), and Nepal Association of Rafting Agencies (NARA) to this effect.

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At the program, NTB CEO Dr. Dhananjay Regmi presented summary of the recent industry survey conducted by NTB and shared tentative survival plan seeking industry feedback on the same.

Similarly, representative from the private sector and Former Member of NTB Executive Committee Mr. Yogendra Shakya, made a presentation on how the industry could survive until 2022.

President of HAN Ms. Shreejana Rana requested the Government for support to the private sector tourism industry in terms of concessions in basic amenities that would reduce operating cost and employee relief package.

Representatives from Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN), Nepal Association of Travel & Tour Agents (NATTA), Nepal Association of Tour Operators (NATO), Society of Travel & Tour Operators (SOTTO), Restaurant & Bar Association of Nepal (REBAN), Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), Nepal Association of Rafting Agents (NARA), Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA – Nepal Chapter) Nepal Tourist Vehicle Association (NTVA) were present at the interaction program conducted by HAN at the NTB office premises.

Directors and Heads of Departments were also present at the meeting.

Source: Nepal Tourism Board (NTB)

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Discounts at a Glance:

• Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) – 30% discount on its services
• Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) – 20% discount on its services
• Homestay Association – 20% discount on Homestay lodging and foods.
• Nepal Association of Rafting Agencies (NARA) – 15% discount on rafting and other water-related adventure sports
• Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) – 10% discount on tour packages

The agencies have come forward with these offers to aid the government’s campaign to attract 2 million visitors in 2020.

On the other hand, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Nepal and Thamel Development Council have decided to organize various promotional events targeting the Visit Nepal 2020.

The ambitious Visit Nepal 2020 campaign is being launched on January 1, 2020.

Tourism ministers from over a dozen countries are invited for the inaugural ceremony of the campaign in Kathmandu.

Tourism ministers from Bangladesh, India, China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Japan, United Arab Emirates and Qatar among other countries are going to be part of the event.

Related Article:

• Visit Nepal 2020 Campaign: Live from Jan 2020, Preparations on Full Swing!

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As part of the move, NATTA is conducting a week-long Nepal Sales Mission to Colombo (Sri Lanka) and Bangalore (India) from December 14-21, 2017.

“Like past years, we are organizing tourism promotional events in the international market this year as well. As India and Sri Lanka are the first and fourth largest tourist generating market for Nepal, respectively, we are hopeful that visitors from these countries will increase further after this event,” says Ram Barakoti, Program Coordinator of Nepal Sales Mission.

As part of the tour, Nepali tourism entrepreneurs will be engaged in day-long B2B sessions at both the cities, informed Barakoti.

Stating that Sri Lankan tourists to Nepal come for Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, Barakoti raised concern that they are opting India for Buddhism pilgrimage. “We will encourage them to start the pilgrimage from Kathmandu,” he added.

In this program, tourism service providers and tour operators will also promote Nepal’s tourism attractions among Sri Lankan tour operators.

“As NAC is operating direct flights to Bangalore, we are hopeful that the number of tourists coming from Bangalore will increase as participating delegates will promote Nepal’s tourism attractions among local tour operators,” Barakoti noted.

NATTA is keen on promoting Nepal among Sri Lankan and Indian tourists as a key destination for historical, religious and natural attractions, added Barakoti.

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According to the Department of Immigration, Nepal saw around 460,237 tourists (via air route) in the first half of 2017, against 313,512 visitors year-on-year.

After a record-high inflow in 2012 (803,000 visitors by air), tourist inflow into the country had come down to 412,461 in the first six months of 2014, which declined further in 2015 and 2016 following a massive earthquake in April 2015.

However, the government’s data indicates signs of recovery for the country’s tourism sector.

Travel & Tour Entrepreneurs Cheer

The recent rise in tourist inflow comes as a slight encouragement to the travel and tour entrepreneurs of Nepal, who have been facing tough time due to decline in tourist inflow to the country.

“The earthquake and fuel crisis had adversely affected the flow of tourists in 2015 and 2016, but though the figure has increased this year, it is still a far cry from our target to bring in two million tourists by 2020,” says Madhusudan Acharya, President of Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA).

Meanwhile, General Secretary of Hotel Association Nepal Binayak Shah said, “Nepal has been included among the top 10 travel destinations in 2017 by the Lonely Planet, a leading travel guide. Despite the positive message disseminated across the world, tourist flow is still tepid.”

According to Shah, post-quake reconstruction activity that started in 2017 and a large number of international organizations working in Nepal for the same contributed to rise in tourist inflow.

Travel and tour entrepreneurs are also hopeful of further rise in tourist arrivals in the second half of 2017, especially during September and November, the best tourist season in Nepal.

Citing weak infrastructure and high airfare as the major factors hindering tourism inflow, they also urged the government to focus on infrastructure development and expansion of the country’s only international airport-Tribhuvan International Airport.

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