NTB’s ambitious plan to bring 200,000 tourists by mid-July 2022

At a time when the tourism sector of Nepal is reeling under the adverse impact of repeated incursions of the Covid-19 pandemic, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has come up with an ambitious plan to garner the process of recovery and revival of tourism across the nation.

To boost up the ailing tourism industry, the NTB has pronounced a huge budget estimated to be 920 million which will be utilized to bring in as many as 200,000 foreign tourists by mid-July 2022.

The NTB is reported to have hatched out this ambitious plan to boost the tourism sector by taking into account the very fact that the tourism sector is one of the significant and indispensable revenue-generating streams of Nepal and the tourism potentialities are enriched and enhanced by the rich natural and cultural heritages including majestic mountain peaks and trekking regions.

The NTB’s plan is expected to overcome the vaccines diplomacy, travel restrictions, and widespread dilemma among the tour operators at this critical juncture.

The board plans to double the tourism advertisement by spending a roughly amount of Rs 140 million out of the allocated total budget. Over 40 million will be spent on the promotion of digital marketing.

The tourism board has also earmarked funds for emergency travel operations and pitched funding of NPR 20 million for proposed research of an online market system.

An estimated budget of 15 million is expected to be spent on the development of information centers in seven provinces.  A large amount of money will also be allocated to ramp up Nepal’s international diplomatic missions and increase its presence in India and China by promoting the Himalayan nation as a destination for tourists.

Private sectors of China and India will also be partnered for future cooperation to invite tourists to Nepal. Rs 73 million will be utilized to promote and implement heritage conservation. The board will also hold fairs and festivals in specific regions to improve the heritage in those regions. The fairs will attract tourists and that would bring in more revenue which will better the heritage value in long term.

A budget of as much as 45 million will be spent to boost the promotion of heritage sites in Pokhara and Rs 180 million will be used to improve the working conditions of the tourism sector personnel.

The Tokha region in Kathmandu will be given special priority to promote rural tourism inside the Kathmandu valley.

Other areas which will be given a face lift are Myagdi, Parbat, Baglung, Gulmi, Syangja, Tanahun, Kaski, Gorkha, Dhading, Arghakanchi, Nuwakot and Kavre. These areas will be promoted as agro-tourism destinations.

Sundarpaschim province will be promoted as a farm-stay destination, while there will also be travel marts across all provinces and Province one will be projected as a health tourism hub. The NTB also plans to construct a tourist bus station in the capital city.