Provinces to oversee functions of tourism

Kathmandu: All tourism departments of seven provincial governments are to function actively with effect from 18 September 2019 to oversee the tourism-related promotional activities in their respective provinces.

It became possible and inevitable after the Nepal government’s Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (Tourism department) formally handed over the official documents of nearly 22364 tourism entrepreneurs’ to the provinces and directed them to oversee the department activities.

Director-General of Department of Tourism Dhundiraj Ghimire handed over the documents to secretary of provincial Ministry of industry, tourism and forest which included the names of standard 361 hotels, 92 homestays, 85 rafting agencies, 3262 travel agencies, 2417 trekking agencies, 214 river guides, 172 trekking potter guides, 79 tourism transportation services, 12981 trekking guides and 2701 tourist guides.

Ghimire also told that the workload of the department of tourism was transferred to the provincial governments according to provisions made in the new constitution for the federal government, province and local bodies.

Earlier, seven tourism offices were also handed over to provinces which included Kakadbhita (Jhaapa), Namche (Solumkhumbu), Janakpur (Dhanusa), Birgunj (Parsa), Bhairahwa (Rupandehi), Pokhara (Kaski) and Kohalpur (Banke).

With this shift of workload, the provincial departments of tourism will be validated to provide permission for travel agency, Trekking agency, tourist transportation services, rafting agency, tourist hotels, homestays renewal of permission, tour guide, trekking guide, potter guide, river guide including renewal permissions.