VNY'98 SECRETARIAT LAUDS ELECTION COC

The Visit Nepal Year 1998 Secretariat has heartily welcomed and lauded the election code of conduct issued by the Election Commission prohibiting election campaigns which ruin beauty of the city.

According to the newly establihsed Election Code of Conduct activities such as pasting up posters and pamphlets and painting slogans and election symbols with enamel or other paint on monuments or at places of religious, archaeological and historic importance, or on the walls of private buidlings without the owner's prior permission have been prohibited.

VNY'98 DOMESTIC TOURISM SYMPOSIUM IN GORKHA & BANDIPUR

Symposium on Domestic Tourism Development was held in Gorkha in Gorkha Bazar recently under the convenorship of Hon'ble Member of Parliament Jeevan Prem. The programme was participated in by local intellectuals, hoteliers, businessmen, NGOs, members of local Chamber of Commerce and members of VNY'98 Gorkha Co-ordination Committee.

Co-ordinator of VNY'98 Co-ordination Committee Karna Sakya expressed the need of promoting domestic tourism in order to boost up international tourism in various attractive tourist destinations in Nepal. And he called upon the local committees to undertake the responsibility to implement VNY'98 programmes such as Gorkha Festival in Gorkha as it has been included in the VNY'98 Calendar of Festivals, Events and Activities.

Director General of Tourism Department Prachanda Man Shrestha highlighted on the developments of tourism during the last four decades and its present structure. He suggested that it was now high time to bring about a change in the concept of tourism and he added that tourism products should be developed by targeting the promotion of international, regional and domestic tourism separately. Specifying the responsibilities of local community, and government at the central level DG of DOT appealed the VNY'98 local co-ordination committee to design and implement the infrastructure and human resources development programmes in close co-ordination with District Development Committee.

The symposium finally agreed to draft a brochure on touristic importance of 'Gorkha' and send the same to the VNY'98 Secretariat for publication. It was also agreed that local co-ordination committee would take necessary steps to mobilise the community to create wider awareness.

The participants of the symposium also recommended that about twenty willing house-owners be identified by the local committee and help them develop 'Family Stay' (Pahuna Ghar) by introducing Paying Guest system.

This symposium was also participated in by NATA treasurer Gopal Kakshapati, VNY Publicity member Mani Joshi, Pushpa Thapaliya of Gorkha Tourism Development Committee & Hariraj Joshi of 'Image Nepal'.

Similarly, on 2nd of January another interaction programme on Tourism was held in Bandipur participated in by local intellectuals, tradesmen, teachers, members of District Development Committee (DDC), Village Development Committees(VDC) and also the members of local Tourism Development Co-ordination Committee.

DG of Department of Tourism expressed that Bandipur has immense potentiality to develop as a touristic destination and since this area has an already built up necessary infrastructure, it would be appropriate to involve and mobilise the local community for the promotion of domestic tourism.

Karna Sakya, co-ordinator of VNY'98 Co-ordination Committee suggested to explore and identify the local products & publicise them through print and other available national media. Drafting of a conceptual masterplan for the tourism development of the region was another point raised by Karna Sakya and he agreed to depute an expert for the purpose on behalf of VNY'98 and Nepal Heritage Society.

All the participants agreed that the old market area of Bandipur, locally produced dry vegetables, dry meat, orange marmalade and the prehistoric caves could be some of the interesting tourism products of Bandipur. The age old tradition of "Sheep pulling competition" could also be developed as special product to draw greater number of tourists to Bandipur, the participants felt. The meeting further agreed to organise an essay competition among the students of Bandipur VDC to help raise the mass awareness on tourism.

Finally, the meeting came up with the view that the old market area should be declared a monument zone and plying of motor vehicles be restricted in the area. And, a separate road be constructed for necessary linkage in co-ordination with DDC,VDC and local tourism development committees.

VNY'98 LAUDS CONVENTION TOURISM

One of the prime objectives of Visit Nepal Year'98 among several others is also to develop convention tourism in the country. Nepal Incentive & Convention Association (NICA) has come up as an NGO to support and promote Convention Tourism. Recently, to mark His Majesty's Silver Jubilee Year of Accession to the throne, NICA launched a Classic/Vintage Car and Motorbike show and organised a day of fun, and food fete in the premises of International Convention Centre in Kathmandu. During the occasion, NICA had hoisted 100 colourful VNY'98 flags around the convention hall. In near future, VNY'98 Secretariat is bringing out a new publication on Convention Tourism in Nepal. Nepal had never before been exposed for convention tourism. VNY'98 lauds NICA efforts.

INT'L CIRCULATION OF VNY'98 PUBLICATIONS

Two recent publications of VNY'98 Secretariat viz. Calendar of Festivals, Events and Activities / Special Interest Tours, Tourism Products developed for VNY'98 are being dispatched from the Secretariat to all the travel trade related agencies and tour operators at home and abroad.

The second publication of the above series was released by Minister for Tourism & Civil Aviation Chakra Prasad Bastola in a meeting held recently at the Ministry of Tourism hall presided over by R.R.Pandey, Chairman of Product Development Committee. All the Royal Nepal Embassies and Royal Nepal Consulates throughout the world have also been sent these publications.

CONSUL GENERAL MATTSON VISITED VNY'98

Mr. Gustav Mattson, Royal Nepalese Consul General in Helsinki, Finland accompanied by Mr. Timo Palmula a Finnish tour operator called on Hon'ble Minister for Tourism & Civil Aviation Chakra Prasad Bastola at his office Tuesday, the 7th January, 1997 and held discussions on marketing of Nepal as a touristic destination in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway. Later, Mr. Mattson & Mr. Palmula also visited VNY'98 Secretariat and discussed on various aspects of mutual cooperation in bringing Scandinavian friends to Nepal in the days to come, especially during the Visit Nepal Year 1998.

BRISBANE RN CONSUL GENERAL VISITED VNY'98

Mrs. Helen Bainbridge, Royal Nepalese Honorary Consul General from Brisbane, Australia recently called on Jt. Secretary Shanker Pd. Koirala at his office and held discussions on various aspects of promoting VNY'98. It was finally agreed that Mrs. Bainbridge would convene a joint meeting of all the four Royal Nepalese Honorary Consul Generals in Australia in near future in Kathmandu, Nepal keeping in view of the upcoming VNY'98 celebration in Nepal.

TIA CHALKS OUT PROGRAMMES FOR VNY'98

The Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) has prepared a number of programmes in keeping with the upcoming Visit Nepal Year 1998. A TIA communiqué received recently from the office of the General Manager states the following tentative programmes for Visit Nepal, 1998 : twenty four hours operation of Airport, RADAR operation, satellite base enroute / approach procedure, automatic flight information service (50 % completed), introduction of Taxi Queue System twenty four hours, health service unit, money changer facility, luggage-locker system, hospitality desk round the year, every first passenger on RA flight on 1st day of every month to be offered a special welcome and one night free hotel, setting up of competitive duty free shop, construction of Visit Nepal 1998 Garden, ensure quicker granting of tourist-visa and removal of anaesthetic structures (tents etc.) from the airport premises.

VNY IN TOKYO

Nepal Tourism & Trade Information centre of Tokyo, Japan of which Manik Ratna Shakya of Nepali origin is the Managing Director has been quite promptly active in promoting Visit Nepal Year'98 programme in Japan.

On the auspicious occasion of the 52nd Birthday Celebration of His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shahdev in Royal Nepalese Embassy in Tokyo, Mr. Shakya displayed computerised informations about Nepal, various tourism related brochures and posters including VNY'98 posters and other publications in the embassy premises which was highly appreciated by the local invitees. Similarly, in the special context of Visit Nepal Year 1998 his team has been organising monthly symposium on tourism products of Nepal in co-ordination with educational institutions and local people.

AMBASSADOR RAJAN ON VNY'98

"In the context of Nepal observing 1998 as Visit Nepal Year people of Indian origin can play an important role in its tourism promotion activities due to religious, cultural and geographical proximity between Nepal and India," Indian Ambassador K.V. Rajan expressed this in the International Executive Meeting of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) held in Kathmandu, Jan 3, 1997.

VNY'98 HIGHLIGHTED IN SCCI SEMINAR

SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Tourism Council Seminar on Regional Cooperation and Tourism was held recently in Kathmandu. The three-day seminar was inaugurated by Rt. Hon'ble Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. In his inaugural remarks, Prime Minister Deuba said the historical and cultural linkages existing among the SAARC countries and their peoples can be used to promote intra-regional tourism. He further shed light on Visit Nepal Year 1998 and expressed that SCCI Tourism Council can be of immense help in our national efforts to make Visit Nepal Year successful. He also called for the support of private sector in government efforts to promote VNY'98.

In his key-note address Hon'ble Minister for Tourism & Civil Aviation Chakra Prasad Bastola said that the year 1998 has been designated Visit Nepal Year to boost Nepalese tourism to greater heights. And added that preparations are underway to bring in half a million tourists to Nepal during the year.

The seminar was also addressed by SAARC Secretary General Mr. Naeem U. Hussain.

The seminar was attended by high level participants from FNCCI Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

TOURISM WORKSHOP IN DHANKUTA

In the context of upcoming Visit Nepal Year 1998, Dhankuta District Development Committee and Dharan and Dhankuta Municipalities jointly organised a two-day workshop on "Development and Promotion of Tourism in the Eastern Region" on January 6 and 7.
Inaugurating the workshop, Minister for Tourism & Civil Aviation(MOTCA) Chakra Prasad Bastola said that essential infrastructure for potential tourism areas and sites should be developed for the promotion of the tourism sector.

Pointing out the need for high standard hotels and lodges in the eastern region, Mr. Bastola also expressed the view that the running of hotels and lodges should be left to the private sector with the government taking up only what the private sector cannot handle.

Member Secretary of Visit Nepal Year 1998 Secretariat and Jt. Secretary of MOTCA Shanker Prasad Koirala also shed light on the ongoing preparations and activities of VNY'98. He also presented a working paper on the occasion.

Sixty four people including 14 MPs, 15 DDC chairmen, the mayors of six Municipalities in the eastern development region and representatives of the Tourism Ministry, the National Planning Commission, NGOs, local offices and political parties participated in the seminar.

GOPIO TO PROMOTE VNY'98

Delegates from Malaysia and Mauritius who were in Kathmandu to participate in the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) International Executive Meeting called on Hon'ble Minister for Tourism & Civil Aviation Chakra Prasad Bastola on 6th January,1997 at his office and discussed on subjects of mutual interest relating tourism promotion. On the occasion Minister Bastola presented VNY'98 Souvenir caps and VNY'98 Publications to the members of delegation. The members of the delegation have agreed to join hands to carry VNY'98 message to their respective countries and publish VNY'98 Logo with message in the forthcoming bulletins and publications of GOPIO.

Later, the delegation led by Prem Lashkery, Convenor, GOPIO Nepal joined an interaction programme on VNY'98 with Programme - Coordinator Dr. Hari Sarmah and Section Officer Tek Bahadur Dangi of VNY'98 Secretariat the same day.

The GOPIO is going to organise its 3rd Asian GOPIO Conference in Kathmandu in August, 1997.

SYMPOSIUM ON HIMALAYAN ENVIRONMENT :
TABEI HAPPY AFTER VISITING NEPAL

Nepal is famously known as the country of temples and cultural festivals in the world. In order to add more attraction and charm to the Visit Nepal Year (VNY) 1998, Nepal plans to organise different social, cultural and adventure programmes for tourists in addition to observing the traditional festivals in a grand manner.

Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Chakra Prasad Bastola expressed this view while inaugurating a symposium on "Himalayan Environment" jointly organised by Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) and Himalayan Adventure of Japan (HAT-J) and welcoming the foreign youth delegations at a function in Kathmandu on Jan. 2, 1997.

The future of the whole world rests on the shoulder of the youth. Therefore, they should be physically and morally prepared to make the world peaceful and beautiful. For this, we need to make efforts to share knowledge and experiences and learn from it . Learning is more effective when there is practical experience, Minister Bastola said and added that tourism activities can serve as a good medium to improve learning. Minister Bastola who is also the Chairman of VNY '98 Main Committee presented Ms. Junko Tabei, No. 1 women to conquer Mt. Everest a letter of appreciation and souvenirs including VNY'98 publicity materials. All the sixty three youth participants from various countries viz., Japan, China, India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Hong Kong, Taipai, Korea and Nepal were also presented VNY '98 T-Shirts, Lapel pins, Caps and recent VNY publications.

Ms. Junko Tabei of Japan presented an introduction of the purpose and activities of HAT-J and said that she felt extremely glad to visit Nepal.

Director General of the Department of Tourism Prachanda Man Shrestha made a presentation on Mountain Tourism in Nepal. Executive Director, Kathmandu Environment & Education Project Pasang Temba Sherpa made a slide presentation on Development and Concept of Eco-Tourism in Nepal. Similarly, Mingma Norbu Sherpa, WWF Country Representative for Nepal and Bhutan spoke on the importance of Wild - Life conservation in the Himalayan Region.

NMA President Dawa Norbu Sherpa presented a vote of Thanks at the function.

STUDENT AMBASSADORS TO PROMOTE VNY'98

A brief orientation programme was organized on Dec. 22, 1996 for 20 students of B.E. IV Year of Pulchowk Engineering Campus, who left Kathmandu on Dec. 23, 1996 for a month-long educational tour to India. The students will visit many places in India including Calcutta, Madras, Agra, Bombay,New Delhi etc.

In view of the wider international promotion of Visit Nepal Year 1998, the students were briefed on the socio-economic importance of tourism to the country and the role students could play for its promotion. The students were also briefed on the range of tourism attractions in Nepal which could attract Indian tourists. Queries on objectives & programmes were also entertained. The student group was supplied with tourism promotion materials including VNY'98 T-Shirts, caps & badges.

The orientation programme was conducted by Mr. Karna Shakya, Dr. Hari Sarmah & Mr. Tek Bahadur Dangi on behalf of VNY '98 Secretariat.

Likewise, another orientation programme was organised on Dec. 25, 1996 for 23 students of Bachelor of Architecture level of Engineering Campus, Pulchowk scheduled to participate in the 39th Annual Convention of NASA (National Association of Students of Architecture) in New Delhi, India from 28-31 December, 1996.

The orientation programme was conducted by Mr. Shanker Prasad Koirala, Dr. Hari P. Sarmah and Mr. Tek Bahadur Dangi on behalf of VNY'98 Secretariat.

Twenty other students of Tribhuvan University Department of Statistics were also briefed about VNY'98 ongoings and its speeding up campaign at the MOTCA hall by Hari Sarmah , Hiranya Shrestha and Tek Bahadur Dangi of VNY'98 Secretariat.

Similarly, some members of the Nepalese Students Association of Chandigarh visited VNY'98 Secretariat on 9th of January, 1997 to learn about VNY preparations. MOTCA under - secretary Hiranya Shrestha gave a talk on VNY'98 and presented VNY Publications to the students group at the Secretariat hall.

GAIDAKOT PILGRIM TOURISM

The Moula Kalika temple of Gaidakot VDC Ward No. 1 is gaining rapid popularity as a pilgrim tourism spot. The place is well known for its historical, religious and tourisitic importance. Thousands of pilgrims, devotees and tourists from every part of the kingdom muster to offer worship and to visit the temple site daily. Because of its attractive geo - location and richness of surrounding natural beauty. This area has been included in the master plan of Devghat area development. A committee has been formed for the phasewise implementation of the master plan. Certain phases of infrastructure construction in the area is believed to be promptly initiated by the local inhabitants in view of the upcoming Visit Nepal Year 1998.

VNY'98 TOWN & WARD COMMITTEES IN RUPANDEHI

As per a communiqué received here recently from Dr. Balaram Gautam, Chairman VNY'98 Rupandehi Co-ordination Committee, a Town Committee comprising of 47 persons including local hoteliers, entrepreneurs, social-workers, media -men and educationists has been formed in Siddharthanagar to promote Visit Nepal Year 1998 under the chairmanship of Mr. Madhav Lal Shrestha (Chairman, Siddharthanagar Chamber of Commerce). Similarly, formation of VNY'98 Volunteers' Groups has also been initiated in various wards of the Town.

VNY ESSAY COMPETITION

VNY'98 Secretariat has called upon all the High School teachers of the Kingdom to participate in the competitive essay writing competition on the subject "Our Country, Our guests". Similarly, with a view to create greater awareness among the youth about domestic tourism, the Secretariat has also called upon the high school level students throughout the country to take part in essay competition on the theme of "Importance of Domestic Tourism". The last dates for the essays to reach the Secretariat have been fixed on 28 February, 1997 and 10 April 1997 respectively. UNDP Partnership Quality Tourism Project will sponsor the cash prizes and certificates for the best three student essayists.

GHALE GAON SIKLES ECO-TOURISM

An eco-tourism circuit trekking route is being developed in Ghale Gaon Sikles area north of Pokhara by Tourism Infrastructure Development Project (TIDP) under King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation(KMTNC). This new trekking trail offers the trekkers an opportunity to view various types of vegetation, fruits, birds, protected woodlands, local communities, unique cultural and exotic natural heritages. This trekking route leads up to an altitude of 2,750 metres. The complete targeted infrastructure of this area is estimated to be accomplished by mid February this year. This newly developed week-long trekking trail lies in the world famous Honey - Hunter area.

VNY QUERRIES ENTERTAINED

The VNY'98 Secretariat has been receiving a number of querries about VNY'98 activities and programmes. Only during the last week such queries received from the following FITs and researchers were duly entertained through fax, e-mail and letters..

Joan Yuen, joany@wrq.com
Michael Kelly, Australia
Om Prakash Niraula, niraula@phys.sinica.edu.tw
Christina Bogyo, cbogyo@worldbank.org
Tony Parr, Israeli Trekker
Anjana Maitra Sinha, Lecturer, Rourkela, India
Carolyn Andrea Vasatha Ramasamy, University of Wolverhampton.

1998 IS THE YEAR TO VISIT NEPAL, TO INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO VISIT NEPAL. BRING HOME A FRIEND IN 1998

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