Nepal showered warmth in cold Moscow with focus on Nepal Tourism Year 2011

Nepal Tourism Board, along with the delegation of 3 travel companies from Nepal namely Kamaz Tours & Travels, Asia Adventure Excursions & Avia Club Nepal Pvt. Ltd. participated in the MITT Moscow, the travel & tourism fair held from March 16 to 19, 2011. In the fair, Nepalese companies provided detailed information of their tour packages to the visitors as well as to the buyers. Nepals special focus was on Nepal Tourism Year 2011. Many queries were raised about the special packages offered and air connectivity to Nepal from Moscow.

On the final day of the Fair, a special presentation on Nepal targeting the Nepal Tourism Year 2011 was made by Mr. Prachanda Man Shrestha, Chief Executive Officer of Nepal Tourism Board at Embassy of Nepal, Moscow amongst a gathering of NRN society, media representatives, tour operators and Nepal loving Russian community. He highlighted Nepal as a destination for all age groups of all interests for all the seasons. Addressing the gathering, HE Ambassador of Nepal to Russia Surya Kiran Gurung requested the Russian people to visit Nepal to experience unique natural and cultural attractions of Nepal. The Russian friends of Nepal exchanged their interesting experiences of their Nepal visit and urged all the Russians to visit this land that will bring the mental solace, much needed in the modern day hectic life. The local tour operators and Russia-Nepal Friendship Society showed their concern to send tourists to Nepal by promoting Nepal as a holiday destination.

Call for 'Save Mt Everest campaign'

Everest Summiteers Association (ESA), along with the government, Nepal Tourism Board, and Eco Himal will organise a ‘Save the Mt Everest campaign’.

“Mt Everest is the highest peak in the world and recognised it as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is in Nepal but the country could not cash in on it,” said Wangchu Sherpa, president of the association.

According to him, especially for struggling mountain communities, tourism is a key source of income, and Mt Everest, locally known as Sagarmatha, represents the crown jewel of Nepali tourism.

However, the increase in the number of visitors to the Everest region in recent decades has also brought serious strains and severe negative impacts around Mount Everest, as well as many popular trails in and around Sagarmatha National Park.

“Many activities aiming at solving the problem of solid waste have been conducted but there is still no functional waste management system in place,” he said, adding that locals have less experience in handling such large amounts of rubbish in an environmentally sustainable way.

According to him, the overall goals of the project are to conserve and manage the rich biological diversity of Everest National Park (Sagarmatha National Park), emphasise on solid waste management and support and strengthen local communities towards biodiversity conservation.

“To make at least 70 per cent of the local residents aware of the importance and relevance of waste management and potential threats from climate change, sensitise national policies on waste management and code of conduct for locals and tourists are some of the aims,” Sherpa added.

It is planning to collect approximately eight tonnes of garbage from Mt Everest and along the trekking routes of Lukla to Everest Base Camp, to set up 15 waste management plants, and operate and manage local institutions for waste management systems through 100 specially trained people.

The project enjoys full support of the government through the Ministry of Environment and Science, which will introduce new environmental regulations for climbing expeditions as well as for trekking groups to the Everest region as of spring 2011, according to the association that claims that there is a budget of $780,000 for the project that will start from this April and runs till June 2012.

NRB to issue NTY 2011 coins

Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) is issuing special commemorative coins for Nepal Tourism Year (NTY) 2011 campaign. The central bank will issue two coins of Rs 1,000 and Rs 50 denominations once its proposal is approved by the cabinet.

The coin of Rs 1,000 denomination will be of silver, while the Rs 50 coin will be of cupronickel (alloy of copper and silver).

The NRB is issuing 1,000 units of silver coins and 10,000 units of cupronickel coins as per the request of NTY Program Implementation Committee. The coins will bear the logo of NTY 2011 campaign.

NRB had issue coins of Re 1, Rs 2, Rs 5 and Rs 10 denominations during Visit Nepal Year 1998. But the coins were published as per the regular minting procedures.

Four Nepali women to attempt Annapurna IV

Four Nepali women are planning to summit Mt Annapurna IV (7,525) this spring.The Nepali Women Annapurna Expedition 2001 will try to put Nirma Rai of Solukhumbu, Muna Gurung of Manang, Saraswati BK of Kaski and Shantikala Rai of Solukhumbu to the summit of Mt Annapurna IV.

The expedition is jointly organized by Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) Pokhara Chapter, Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) Annapurna Chapter and Pokhara-based Empowerment of Women Nepal (EWN).

At a press meet organized at TAAN Secretariat in Kathmandu on March 14, the women mountaineers said they were all prepared for the summit.

"All of us have been working as a trekking guide for the past many years. We've also taken rock climbing and ice climbing training at both home and abroad. We are all prepared for the summit," said Nirma Rai.

The expedition will begin from Manang in the second week of April and the women expect to reach the summit within 30 or 40 days.

"This expedition is not just a step ahead in empowerment of Nepalese women. It will also be crucial to increase the number of women trekkers and mountaineers to the Annapurna Region," said Dr Ganesh Gurung, former member of National Planning Commission and the coordinator of the expedition.

Tendi Sherpa, a mountaineering instructor and an accomplished mountaineer, will be the guide of the expedition.

The total budget of the expedition is estimated at around Rs 5.6 million. The expedition is supported by a number of national and international associations and leaders of different political parties.

Four Nepali women to attempt Annapurna IV

Nepal Tourism Board along with 7 private sector delegates participated in the Nepal Sales Mission the Eastern cities of Europe.

As a part of the promotional campaign in order to bring 1 million tourists from all over the world to Nepal in the context of Nepal Tourism Year 2011, the less explored markets of Poland, Czech Republic and Austria were chosen for the promotion.

The visitors from Europe has seen increment in each year after 2007 and in 2010, it was 14.43 % more than that of 2009 whereas the arrivals from Poland, Czech Republic & Austria has got the negative growth. The sales mission was organized to regain the tour operators confidence and the inform / invite the tour operators to promote Nepal in the context of NTY 2011 and after.

The program at Hotel Campanile at Warshaw, Hotel Christine at Prague and Hotel Hilton Vienna Danube saw exciting number of tours and travel operators as well as the local reporters.

On his welcome speech, Mr. Prachanda Man Shrestha, CEO of Nepal Tourism Board expressed, “Government of Nepal has given high priority to tourism industry of Nepal have declared 2011 and the national campaign with the aim of targeting 1 million tourists to the country and we want to invite the tour operators, media people and friends of Nepal to visit Nepal and feel the hospitality of the friendly people of Nepal enjoying the nature, culture and adventure activities here". Mr. Shrestha also attended discussion session and answered the different questions raised by the participants.

Mr. Mani Raj Lamichhane, Manager had made the presentation along with the video documentary on Nepal to facilitate the participants to know more about Nepal.

Most of the tour operators were very happy to see Nepal Tourism Board organizing the program in their country as it was the very first time when a national tourism organization has arranged such type of program there. They were even more excited to see the local tour operators at their doorsteps offering them the packages and other relevant information on the same venue.

The B2B session and the press conference were well attended by media and the key travel and tour operators held at Warshaw – Poland, Prague – Czech Republic and Vienna – Austria on 15, 16 & 17 March respectively.

Mr. Prachanda Man Shrestha, CEO of Nepal Tourism Board had lead the delegation of 7 companies including Ace the Himalaya Trekking, Kundalini Tours & Travel, Himalayan Expeditions, Hotel Soaltee, Marron Treks, Wonderland Travels Nepal and Yeti Travels. Mr. Mani Raj Lamichhane, Manager has assisted / coordinated the local logistics.

In this Issue :

Nepal showered warmth in cold Moscow with focus on Nepal Tourism Year 2011

Call for 'Save Mt Everest campaign'

NRB to issue NTY 2011 coins

Four Nepali women to attempt Annapurna IV

Four Nepali women to attempt Annapurna IV

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