Nepal made maiden entry to Africa's travel market

For the first time in the history of Nepal’s tourism, Nepal Tourism Board organized  first ever tourism promotion program in the African continent in March 2013 in celebration of the incredible journey of the 7 Summits Women Team from the summit of Mt Everest to Mt Kilimanjaro. As a member of BRICS league(Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) who are distinguished by their large, fast-growing economies and significant influence on regional and global affairs, South Africa is considered a next big outbound travel destination.

In a press conference organized on April 22 to disseminate different aspects of the program held in Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg,  Subash Niraula, officiating CEO of Nepal Tourism Board said,” The first ever tourism promotion in the African continent remained fruitful to promote Nepal and its attractions there in coordination of courageous Nepali women team from the 7 Summits Women Teams.”
 
"Though it was our first promotional campaign in Africa, we are very hopeful that it could be an important tourist generating market in the future if we promote with effective programmes," he said.
 
High income class group of South Africa, South African with Indian origin and Hindu pilgrims from Mauritius could be the potential tourists to visit Nepal, he said.
 
Comfortable air connectivity with South Africa via different routes is also a plus point for attracting tourists from the new destinations.
 
“As our regional as well as traditional markets are sinking continuously, we have to search for new markets. Africa could be a new potential market to complement our sinking market,” He said.
 
The historical promotion champignon in active participation of 7 Summits Women Team spread positive messages among the African people about Nepal and its peoples, he said and added that this campaign would have positive impact in future.

Earlier, 7 Summits Women Team scaled the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro on 5th March 2013. The climb was supported by Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN), UN World Food Programme-Tanzania, The North Face, Non-Resident Nepalis Association, Panchakanya Group, Folk Nepal and Childreach.

The climb was organized to highlight the significance of girl education, marking the International Women’s Day 2013. Three women from Tanzania and famous South African actor joined the climb in support of the cause. All of the ladies, including 7 Nepali women and 4 African successfully reached Uhuru Peak at 5895 meters, which is the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro.

Together with 7 Summits Women Team, Nepal Tourism Board promoted destination Nepal in Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg through celebratory events. Media, tour and travel agents, mountaineering club members and general travel trade fraternity along with Ministry of Tourism and Tourism Board officials of both the countries were invited to the Nepal program. Mr. Subash Nirola, Officiating CEO of NTB made a presentation highlighting tourism attraction of Nepal. He also emphasized on the areas of cooperation for tourism between Nepal and South Africa and Tanzania. His Excellency Mr. Arun Dhital, Ambassador of Nepal to South Africa attended the program in Johannesburg.

Kilimanjaro marked fourth peak in the team’s 7 Summits quest following climbs of Mt Everest in 2008, Kosciuszko (Australia) and Elbrus (Europe) in 2010. The team is now gearing up to climb Mt Aconcagua in February 2014.

UN World Food Programme- Tanzania is also producing a documentary movie featuring the team’s journey. Tanzania government waived the permit fees for the climb.

The team comprises of Shailee Basnet, Asha Kumari Singh, Chunu Shrestha, Pujan Acharya, Nimdoma Sherpa, Maya Gurung and Pema Diki Sherpa. Fellow climbers from Tanzania included Anna Phillip Indaya, Ashura Kayupayupa, Nima Sitta and South African actor Hlubi Mboya.

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Mt. Everest Diamond Jubilee Celebration in the offing

Nepal is now all geared up to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee Anniversary of climbing of Mt. Everest by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary from May 26-29, 2013. . A high level Everest Diamond Jubilee Celebration Committee has been set up under the chairmanship of Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. Secretaries of various ministers and Presidents of various tourism related associations are its member. Chief Executive Officer of Nepal Tourism Board is its Member Secretary. A meeting of this committee held on April 23, 2013 held under the chairmanship of Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation endorsed the programs and budget for this celebration.

One of the major events of this celebration will be a high powered conference of celebrity mountaineers in Namche, the gateway to Everest region. Renowned mountaineers and record holders are expected to attend this conference. A colorful procession will be organized in honour of celebrity mountaineers on May 29 in the Kathmandu Durbar Square. 60 Km Ultra Marathon will be organized along with regular Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon to commemorate the 60th anniversary on May 29 in Everest region which is considered the highest marathon in the world. Diamond Jubilee medals will be awarded to all Everest climbers for their achievement. Other activities of this celebration will be Everest cleaning campaign, Essay competition on Mt. Everest among school and college students, art and photo exhibition, distribution of Everest and Tenzing Hillary awards, conference of Everest summitters and experts in Kathmandu, Diamond Jubilee festival in Khumjun in the Everest region.

A huge number of Everest summiters are expected to participate in this event from around the world.

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Indian Corporate wishes to try 'new' destination for their MICE Activities

Nepal Tourism Board participated in the MICE Travel Mart (MTM) along with private trade partners: Yeti Travels & Icefall Adventures held in The Leela, Mumbai, India on April 12, 2013. The event organized by OptiMICE Events Pvt. Ltd. is considered as a unique platform that brings together corporate purchasers and travel-service providers on a single platform wherein the corporate purchasers interact with a number of travel-service providers and get to know more about what the travel supplier has in his repertoire.  It is a platform for Buyers and Sellers to exchange knowledge build alliances and generate business opportunities.
 
The Mart was attended by almost 60 sellers, targeting the growing Meeting, Incentive, Conference and Exhibition (MICE) segment in India included airlines, international hotel chains, outbound tour operators, travel agents, international tourism boards and the Destination Management Companies (DMCs). The buyer profile included senior management from the corporate houses, tour operators and the travel agents.
 
As per the research conducted by MTM, "For Indians, the emerging number one destination in Europe is Germany. Other emerging countries are the UK, Italy, France and Switzerland. In the short-haul segment, Middle East is quite popular, especially Dubai, which is the number one destination for Indians in the region".  Nepal being close to India thus has an opportunity to showcase itself as of the most sought destination for the MICE activities. Good connection from the major Indian cities, wide range of activities from lowland to the highest peaks which could be offered in the short period of time to the time-starved MICE tourists and cultural and geographical proximity between India and Nepal are one of the major USP that Nepal poses amongst other destinations.
 
"The emerging trend in MICE is 'newness'. Destinations themselves have to look at providing 'experiences'. We need partners who provide not only safety, but guarantee of knowledge and guarantee of delivery. And delivery is not only pre-trip delivery, in-trip delivery, but also post-trip delivery. Offering Recognition' is another factor. All these are intangibles, but they make for a great trip versus a good trip" a  MTM research further mentions. Nepal Tourism Board along with its participating companies highlighted the above issues during their conversation with the major DMCs and the corporate houses. It was learnt that most of the tour operators and even the corporate houses were in the mood to try 'new product' near to their country.
 
Mr. Ashwini Kakkar, Executive Vice Chairman, Mercury Travels, during his inaugural speech said, "Out of 18 million India outbound travelers in 2012-2013, an estimated 10 per cent will travel only due to MICE. A MICE traveler spends more than a leisure traveler. The average daily expenditure on MICE is 2.5 times that of leisure tours. Europe will be the most sought after destination (50-52 per cent) followed by the Asia Pacific Region (19-20 per cent), the US (15 per cent) and Latin America (8 per cent)."
 
Mr. Mani Raj Lamichhane, Manager, NTB, who led the delegation interacted with the prospective suppliers and the corporate houses and answered the issues raised by them during the B2B conversation and invited them to conduct their MICE program in Nepal.

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Nepali cultural event held in Paris

The embassy of Nepal in Paris organised a cultural event to commemorate the 64th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and France on April 19.

Ambassador Mohan Krishna Shrestha and Valerie Namihas, Adjoint Mairie of the 17th Arrondissement jointly inaugurated the event by alighting a lamp.

Guests at the cultural event included representative of the French Foreign Ministry, former ambassadors, honorary Nepalese Consul in Toulouse, diplomatic officials from embassies based in Paris, academics, representatives of NRN, France, Everest Nepali Association, Nepali Ekata Samaj, Tamu Samaj, Pakofam and Nepal Culture as well as long-term Nepali residents.

Speaking on the occasion, ambassador Shrestha expressed hope that the bilateral relations between Nepal and France would grow much stronger in the days to come and the relations will be based on mutual understanding and mutual benefit.

Similarly, Jean Romnicianu, representative of the French Foreign Ministry, maintained that bilateral relations between the two countries must have started much earlier with seminal visits and during recent times and that the bilateral relations have been developing up to "mutual satisfaction".

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3rd Int'l tattoo convention from April 26

The 3rd International Nepal Tattoo Convention 2013 is going to be held here in capital from April 26 to 28.

The main objective of this convention is to promote tourism by gathering people from all over the world along with promoting the tattoo art and culture in Nepal, said organiser Bijay Shrestha.

The three-day event that is going to be held at Hotel Yak and Yeti, Durbarmarg is expected to have participation from some 20 countries along with over 70 tattoo artists.

The event is also an effort to bring positive thinking towards tattoos, said the organiser adding that the convention is not being organised solely with a profit making intention but to build up an international platform to help Nepal’s tattoo industry reach a more organised and mature stage.

The ticket price is fixed at Rs. 200.

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Highest and lowest pt on earth make a symbolic meet as stones from Dead Sea is placed on Mt Everest

By Anand Gurung

Two poles never meet. But they always attract.

However, the marvelous feat of making two opposites meet -- at least symbolically-- was achieved on Tuesday as a joint Nepali-Israeli team placed a monument brought from the Dead Sea -- the lowest point on Earth -- at the base of Mt. Everest, the highest point on Earth.

The ceremony to unveil the monument, which has stones from the Dead Sea embedded on it, was held on Tuesday at Namche Bazaar, Solukhumbu.

The joint team was led by Embassy of Israel in Kathmandu, Mayor of Tamar Regional Council-Dead Sea Israel Dov Litvinoff, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nepal, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation in Nepal and the Nepal Tourism Board.

Mayor Litvinoff along with Israeli artist Jojo Ohayon, who created the monument, brought the Dead Sea stones to Nepal for the ceremony.

Speaking at a press conference held in the capital on Thursday, Israeli Ambassador to Nepal Hanan Goder said, "We are very happy and excited to announce that there is now on top of the world, a monument brought from the lowest point on Earth, the Dead Sea."

He said stones from Mt Everest are already on a journey to Israel, and a similar monument will be placed on the banks of the Dead Sea.

Ambassador Goder said that the main objective of these projects is not only to promote natural beauty and cultural heritages of the two countries but also to mark the long standing and friendly relations between the two countries.

"The idea is to further strengthen existing friendly ties between Nepal and Israel and bring it to the people-to-people level," he said.

Also speaking at the function, Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation Sushil Ghimire expressed his happiness and excitement to announce the placing of monument brought from the Dead Sea at the base of Mt. Everest.

"Now we can enjoy the feelings of the Dead Sea at the highest point on Earth," Secretary Ghimire said, adding that a matching monument will also be placed near the Dead Sea next month, which will have a stone embedded on it from Mt Everest.

He also hoped that this will encourage more tourists to visit the two regions.

Mayor Litvinoff said that the successful completion of this project has brought Tamar Regional Council and Namche Bazaar "very close" and that the "two places are now friends", hinting that there will be increased cooperation between the two regions in the days to come.

This project is a follow up of a joint activity in September 2012 -- issuance of Nepal-Israel joint postage stamps featuring the Dead Sea and Mt. Everest.Nepalnews.com

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Alternative trail along Annapurna circuit mulled

By SANTOSH POKHAREL

For those dismayed over the construction of a motorable road along the Annapurna trekking circuit, the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) is mulling an alternative walking trail stretching along the Annapurna circuit.

The introduction of a motorable road has disappointed many tourists and trekking enthusiasts as it shortens the trek almost by half and pollution from motor vehicles is another setback, said chief of ACAP Manang, Parash Bikram Singh.

"Taking these complains to heart, we have decided to open a new walking trail on which trekkers will enjoy the scenery and the trek at the same time," said Singh.

With easier accessibility along the trekking circuit, the 28-day route can now be covered in just five days. The trekking distance will shrink futher next year after completion of the motorable road connecting Manang district headquarters Chame to Tanki in the final phase.

"The alternative trekking route will be developed on the opposite side of the motorable road so that trekkers won´t have trouble finding lodging and board along the way," said Singh.

Outlining the new trail, Singh said it would start from Chamche in Lamjung to cover Siran Tal, Dharapani, Thoche, Ekalbhatti, Danaque and Koto before reaching Chame. "The trail will then continue on to Manang villages and the survey for this part has already been done," said Singh.

"Based on the preliminary survey, the alternative walking trail will be around 63-km long. The old route, which stretches from Chamche to Manang bazaar, is 62 km," he added.

Construction of the alternative trail will cost around Rs 40 million, including all the bridges and wages for construciton workers, informed Singh.

"We can complete the project speedily if the budget arrives on time. As of now, we are meeting the expenses through ACAP and seeking financial assistance from Manang District Development Committee and the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN)," Singh added.

"The new trail will be three-feet wide and the construction will take around two years," Singh further added.

Taking to Republica, Chairperson of Tourist Management Committee Manang, Binod Gurung, emphasized the urgent need for another walking trail.
"The number of tourists coming for trekking has deceased a lot in recent years, mostly after the introduction of vehicles along the trail. I am sure the alternative trail will lure tourists in future," he said.
( Courtesy: The Republica)

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