25 May, Kathmandu : Nepal National Tourism Entrepreneurs’ Organization on Sunday met with the newly appointed Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Kripasur Sherpa, and submitted 12-point suggestions to restore the tourism sector that is badly affected by the recent earthquakes.
A team of the tourism entrepreneurs led by Tourism Promotion Department In-Charge Surya Thapa drew the Minister’s attention that tourists’ arrival after the earthquake declined sharply in the country. The tourism entrepreneurs could not pay rent of the rooms/buildings taken to run offices with the decline in business. So, the fare should be exempted for three months, they demanded.
Similarly, the team suggested Minister Sherpa to take initiative to set up a fund of Rs 10 billion to restore the tourism sector, allocate 10 percent of total budget of the coming fiscal year to the tourism business, make necessary publicity to attract more foreign tourists, provide loan with minimum interest rate to the tourism entrepreneurs.
Organization Chairman Chandra Rijal recited the twelve-point suggestions before handing it to the Minister. If these suggestions were implemented, tourism business could be restored very soon, he added.
Following the meeting, Minister Sherpa said it was both challenge and opportunity for Nepal to cope with this disaster. He added that he would initiate works by focusing the priority areas in the tourism sector. Reconstruction of damaged heritage sites was one of the priorities, he added. RSS
