Touristic areas need more publicity: Nepal

Kathmandu: CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairperson Madhav Kumar Nepal has said Nepal’s touristic areas need more publicity.

In his address to an interaction programme on ‘problems and challenges in tourism and civil aviation sector’ organised by the party’s central tourism department here today, he said the tourism issues still remain less publicized and promoted agenda.

As he said, our peaks, natural ponds and lakes including the Rara Lake in Mugu and the Tilicho in Manang still await further publicity to be developed as major touristic hubs.

He was of the view of encouraging the people from neighbouring India especially those residing in hotter areas to visit Nepal to enjoy the cool atmosphere here.

The former Prime Minister also insisted on the further elevation of the Narayanhiti Museum. The facility is expected to be a place giving information about Nepal’s monarchy at large.

Similarly, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Jeevan Ram Shrestha underlined the need of reforming the Nepal Airlines Corporation which as he said is in a mess and needs a system and government cooperation for its sustainability.

He pledged to come up with a plan capable of encouraging people to visit Nepal during all seasons. He also said that the Ministry has already decided on a decade visit-year plan and the Cabinet is likely to endorse it soon. Nepal needs this to attract more and more tourists.

Presenting a paper at the programme, Dr BP Badal advised the government to wave local tourism charges and come up with programmes focusing on the extension of visitors’ stay and the increase of their expenditures.

National Planning Commission’s Dr Ram Kumar Phuyal and Nepal Rastra Bank former governor Dipendra Purush Dhakal spoke about the need for policy-level reforms and more publicity of touristic sites to explore tourism potentialities (RSS).