Dev Anand fascinated with
Nepal's beauty
Press Release July
18, 2005
"Nepal is a beautiful and great country
and Nepalese are wonderful people both
physically and emotionally," said
Dev Anand, legend of India's cinema who
made a movie called Hare Ram Hare Krishna
in 1971 which was based on Kathmandu,
in a press meet organized by Nepal Tourism
Board and Film Development Board of His
Majesty's Government on July 18, 2005
in Kathmandu. He said Nepal could get
a lot of tourists if its beauty was exposed
to outside world through cinemas. He also
referred to his earlier visit to Hotel
Everest at Syangboche of Everest Region
and beautiful view of Mt. Everest seen
from there. "Nepal has great locations
for shooting movies and has kept its culture
and nature beautifully intact. Green meadow,
gushing rivers, high Himalayas, innocent
people, everything is here," he said
in his poetic style. He said Nepal is
the best place for International Film
Festival because of its natural endowment.
"Once people know the beauty of Nepal
through cinemas, Nepal will be flooded
with the tourists, more than it can handle,"
he confided. He committed to shoot his
upcoming film in Nepal.
Bollywood's famous actress
Manisha Koirala, veteran actor of Sri
Lanka Sanath Gunathilake and Sri Lankan
actress and singer Damitha Abeyrathne
also addressed the press meet praising
the beauty of Nepal and its hospitable
people. Chief Executive Officer of Nepal
Tourism Board Mr. Tek Bahadur Dangi thanked
all special guests who made time for press
meet despite of their busy schedule for
being there and requested them all to
support Nepalese tourism industry.
Minister Bajracharya
holds discussion with West Bengal's tourism
minister
July 12, 2005
Hon'ble Minister for Culture, Tourism
and Civil Aviation Mr. Buddhiraj Bajracharya
held a meeting with Hon'ble Minister of
Tourism Department, the Government of
West Bengal Mr. Dinesh Chandra Dakua on
July 11, 2005 at Kolkata and discussed
bilateral issue relating to promotion
of Nepalese tourism in Kolkata, India.
Minister Bajracharya apprised him of present
tourism scenario of Nepal and requested
him to support the endeavour made by Nepalese
tourism industry in promoting tourism
in Kolkata. During the brief meeting Minister
Dakua inquired about the traveling by
bus and other tourists destinations enroute
to Kathmandu from Kakiribitta, bordering
town of Eastern Nepal. Minister Dakua
assured that his government would extend
all kinds of support to His Majesty's
Government and private sector in promoting
Nepal in Kolkata.
Similarly, Mr. Tapan Kumar
Burman, Principal Secretary of Tourism
Department of Government of West Bengal
met Hon'ble Minister for Culture, Tourism
and Civil Aviation Mr. Buddhiraj Bajracharya
at Hotel Grand Oberai in Kolkata on Monday.
Mr. Burman said Nepal is the hot destination
for the people of Kolkata and many people
prefer to go to Nepal for sightseeing
and pilgrimage tour. He also assured to
promote Nepal as a destination in Kolkata.
FAM Tour for Tour
Operators and media persons from Bangladesh
and Kolkata organised
July 12, 2005
Since last few months, Nepal Tourism Board
has been organizing a series of Familiarization
trips of Media persons and tour operators
from the major tourism markets holding
inbound tourism prospects. The objective
behind organizing such trips is to provide
them an opportunity to understand the
ground realities of Nepal as against what
they heard and read about Nepal. FAM trips
have proved to be cost effective method
of promoting destination in these countries.
In order to perpetuate
the notion of organising FAM tour for
greater mileage, NTB has invited 6 prominent
tour operators and two journalists from
Bangladesh from July 7 to 14, 2005 and
6 journalists from Kolkata from July 8
to 13, 2005 to make them aware about our
destination potential and existing situation
update. During the course of their stay
in Nepal, they have visited various major
tourism destinations and have garnered
their own first hand information about
the tourism potential and the existing
safety and security situation in Nepal.
After they visiting various parts of Nepal
they have realized that the overall security
situation of Nepal is conducive for tourism
activities and no tourist has been attacked
or harmed in Nepal. The Bangladeshi tour
operators and journalists visited Bhaktapur,
Bandipur, Pokhara, Nagarkot, Kathmandu
and Manakamana whereas media persons from
Kolkata visited Bhaktapur, Pokhara, Nagarkot
and Kathmandu.
To interact with the NTB
officials and media, Nepal Tourism Board
organized an interaction programme today
to take their feedback and suggestion
for promoting Nepal in their country.
Addressing the interaction, CEO of Nepal
Tourism Board Mr. Tek Bahadur Dangi said
that though Nepal is a small country,
it has huge biodiversity and there is
so many things that Nepal offers to its
visitors. "Extra focus is now given
to regional market and it has been the
policy of His Majesty's Government of
Nepal. The operation of Cosmic flight
to Kolkata and Vanarasi will give extra
boost to Nepal's tourism."
Speaking on behalf of tour
operators from Bangladesh Mr. Syed G.
Qadir, General Manager-Galaxy Holidays
and -NTB PRR in Dhaka said that Bandipur
is a very attractive place from the village
tourism point of view and infrastructure
should be developed to promote it. Mr.
Sujit Roy, Deputy Editor- Lokayat said
that it would be more fruitful for journalists
if Nepal Tourism Board took them to villages
of Nepali Lukla and Jomsom so that there
would be lot of writing materials for
them to promote Nepal.
Mr. Yubraj Pandey, Joint
Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Tourism
and Civil Aviation, Mr. Lawrence Lew,
General Manager, Cosmic Air and local
tour operators and journalists also attended
the interaction programme.
The tour operators from
Bangladesh are Mr. Mohammad Nazirul Islam,
Chief Executive- Al-Siraj Travels, Mr.
Mohammed Ziaul Haque, Manager- Bextrade,
Mr. Taufiq Rahman- Journey Plus, Mr. Asiq-al-Mahmood-
Sky Sail Travel, Mr. Mohammed Moniruzzaman
and Mr. Syed G. Qadir-Galaxy Holidays-NTB
PRR in Dhaka. Two journalists from Bangladesh
are Anjir Liton- Special Correspondent
–Manabjamin magazine and Soumitra
Dev-Freelance Travel Writer. Media persons
from Kolkata who enjoyed FAM trip to Nepal
are Ms. Archana Sharma, Senior Reporter-
Sanmarg Daily ( Hindi), Mr. Sujit Roy,
Deputy Editor- Lokayat ( English/ Hindi
Magazine), Mr. Saikat Ghosh, Sr. News
Producer-Khabor Akhon ( Bengali TV), Mr.
Anjan Roy, News Coordinator- Khabor Akhon
( Bengali TV), Mr. Rupayan Choudhury,
Chief News Coordinator- Taaza Khabar (
Hindi TV) and Mr. Kartick Dalui, Cameraman-Taaza
Khabar( Hindi TV)
This FAM tour is supported
by Cosmic Air, Soaltee Crowne Plaza, Club
Himalaya, Country Villa, Riverside Spring
Resort, Manakamana Cable Car, Bandipur
Mountain Resort, International Mountain
Museum, Fishtail Lodge, Fulbari Resort
and Spa, Buddha Air, Annapurna Hotel,
godavari Village Resort, Nepali Chulo,
Nepal Recreation Centre, Hotel Everest,
Trek 'O' Trail Hotel and Shangrila Village
Resort Till date, NTB has already hosted
the Fam trips to more than 350 journalists
of highest repute and chunk of them have
cooperated NTB by highlighting Nepal's
tourism potential to disproportionate
magnitude.
Tour Operators Meet
held in Kolkata
July 10, 2005
A Tour Operators Meet was organized at
the office of Royal Nepalese Consulate
General, Kolkata, India on July 9, 2005
to apprise the leaders of tourism industry
about the operation of Cosmic Air and
the present situation of Nepalese tourism.
Addressing the function
attended by tour operators of Kolkata,
Hon’ble Minister for Culture, Tourism
and Civil Aviation Mr. Buddhiraj Bajracharya
said, ”Launching of Cosmic Air’s
flight to Kolkata has strengthened the
relationship between the people of Kolkata
and Nepal. Although Kolkata has been connected
by Indian Airlines for years, the flight
of Cosmic Air will definitely make it
easier for the people of both cities to
travel Kathmandu and Kolkata. Visa free
entry in both the country by their respective
citizens, convertibility and acceptability
of currency, food habits, language, religious
faith and spiritual values are few common
areas where India and Nepal have been
benefiting down the ages. What I promised
at BIMSTEC meeting a few months ago, I
fulfilled my words by bring by bringing
Cosmic Air to Kolkata boarding myself
on it. I do hope this flight will continue
to provide service to the passengers for
a long time.”
In the programme Royal
Nepalese Consul General Dr. Govind Prasad
Kusum said,” Cosmic Air has made
it cheaper to travel to Kathmandu by air
than by three tier AC Railway.”
He further said that there was no problem
in traveling to Nepal at present. Director
General of Civil Aviation Authority of
Nepal Rajesh Raj Dali said the airlines
operation in Nepal is necessity rather
than luxury because of its topography.
“Cosmic Air provides the best connectivity
in Nepal and outside.” Managing
Director of Cosmic Air M.B. Mathema highlighted
about the operation of Cosmic Air and
its history.
Manoj Saraf, Managing Director
of Gainwell Travel said,” Although
Cosmic Air’s ticket is cheap, the
airport and other taxes becomes hindrance
for travelers to travel to Nepal because
it comes around Indian currency Rs. 2000.”
Tour operators also said that the government
of Nepal and India should accept the identification
provided by tax offices. Royal Nepalese
Consulate General also distributed the
form to be filled up by the students and
endorsed by the school authority while
traveling to Nepal by air with their parents.
Mr. Sarad Pradhan, Media
Consultant of Nepal Tourism Board spoke
about the present scenario of Nepalese
tourism. “ Cosmic Air’s flight
to Kolkata and Vanarasi will definitely
give extra mileage to Nepalese tourism,”
he said.
Nepal Tourism Board also
distributed promotional materials to the
tour operators.
Cosmic Air’s
flight to Kolkata-a boon for travelers
July 9, 2005
Nepal’s leading airlines Cosmic
Air’s maiden flight to Kolkata landed
at Netaji subash Chandra Bose International
Airport on July 8, 2005 around 2:40 pm
local time. In the first flight Cosmic
air had 80 passengers to Kolkata and 42
passengers to Kathmandu. In the evening
a press conference was organized at Hotel
Park in the presence of Hon’ble
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil
Aviation Mr. Buddhiraj Barjcharya to disseminate
the news about Nepal’s tourism scenario
and operation of Cosmic Air to Kolkata
sector.
Addressing the function
attended by media persons of prominent
newspapers and TV channels, Minister Bajracharya
highlighting the existing relation between
Nepal and India said that though the tourism
industry started just 50 years ago, people
of two countries traveled to Nepal and
India for centuries. He further said,
“From time immemorial, there are
a number of common holy and religious
shrines in India and Nepal, which are
worshipped by the people of both the countries.
These synergies form a splendid backdrop
for vibrant religious linkages between
India and Nepal. Relations between Nepal
and India are nurtured and enriched by
noble ideas, values and principle inherent
in shared cultural heritage. They provide
a secure foundation for friendship, mutual
goodwill and understanding between people
of two counties. The composite nature
of relations between India and Nepal has
been sustained and evolved through centuries.
The historical ties between India and
Nepal in the religious way of life have
brought a new kind of linkage between
people of both countries in the form of
pilgrimage tourism.” He added that
the flight of Cosmic Air would definitely
promote Nepal in the same way as Royal
Nepal Airlines, Indian Airlines, Jet Air,
Air Sahara have been doing. He also highlighted
about expansion of the Gautam Buddha Regional
International Airport. Minister Bajracharya
pointed out that when he came to Kolkata
a few months ago during the meeting of
BIMSTEC nations, he made a promise to
the journalists that he would bring additional
flight to Kolkata within a year and he
fulfilled his promise by bringing Cosmic
Air to Kolkata. Asked about the safety
and security situation of Nepal by the
reporters, Minister Bajracharya said that
since journalists of your city and country
felt it safe when they visited Nepal,
it certainly proved that Nepal is safe
for all.
During the press meet,
Royal Nepalese Consul General Dr. Govind
Prasad Kusum said that although the situation
was not favourable, general tourists had
not faced any problem in Nepal and they
traveled uninterrupted in the hills and
Himalayas of Nepal. He reasserted that
Nepal is a safe destination for all tourists
to travel. He also requested the people
of Kolkata to travel to Nepal by Cosmic
Air.
Director General of Civil
Aviation Authority of Nepal Rajesh Raj
Dali spoke about the civil aviation policy
of Nepal and Managing Director of Cosmic
Air M.B. Mathema highlighted about the
operation of Cosmic Air and its history.
Replying the queries made
by the journalists, Mr. Sarad Pradhan,
Media Consultant of Nepal Tourism Board
said visitors' inflow to Nepal by air
for the month of June 2005 recorded an
increase of 1% compared to the same period
of last year and Indian visitors number
alone has increased by 5% during the month
making the total arrival reach 18,840.
Nepal Tourism Board also distributed promotional
materials to the journalists.
Rugby record breakers
on top of the World
Sherpas played and won
A rugby match was played on Everest recently
involving the team of 22 members from
the United Kingdom.
The game at the Everest
Base Camp used by Sir Edmond Hillary and
Tenzing Norgay on the first successful
climb of the 29,002 ft peak on May 29,
1953, was the pinnacle of a mighty effort
by a group of volunteers from across the
rugby community who decided that to put
down a marker on the world's highest peak
would be a great way to raise money for
and promote the two charities they have
been supporting in their efforts - SPIRE
(the Rugby Football Union charity which
helps players with serious spinal injuries)
and Show Racism the Red Card.
With £35,000 already
raised before the party set off for Nepal
and their six-day trek to the venue of
their record-breaking match, the trip
was guaranteed to be successful before
they left home. But in adding a massive
personal physical effort to their fund-raising
activities, the group - aged from 25 to
64 - have demonstrated huge commitment
to two worthy causes.
"I can almost hear
the late Roy Castle congratulating us
on our magnificent feat!" said Gareth
Lewis from the RFU Community Rugby Department.
"We were up early for the record
attempt. The pitch was cleared and marked
and the tops and tag belts handed out.
"John Steele from
Northampton Saints and Raj Joshi, our
expedition leader, were the captains for
the day and any thoughts of walking pace
went straight out the window as the competitive
nature of the participants came out. But
we quickly realised just how little air
there was up there and we were gasping
after running a few metres.
"After 15 minutes
of rugby the final score was 4-2 to John
Steele's team." While the teams may
have written their own new chapter in
the record books, their title of World
Altitude Rugby Champions did not last
long.
"We decided to take
on Nepal in an international tag rugby
match after Allan Moses and Clive Cashell,
Rugby Development Officers for Northumberland
and Hampshire respectively, had taken
the porters and guides through the basics
of tag rugby." said Lewis. "Expert
tuition, mastery of the testing conditions
and some generous refereeing decisions
brought a 3-2 win for Nepal, who were
rewarded with the tag belts, ball and
England tops. It was a great day all round."
Bikrum Pandey, President
of HIMALAYA Expeditions which handled
this group said," What we have been
trying to tell the world that our clients
are doing the job. These clients were
from a Rugby Team background and they
have successfully played Rugby in the
highest elevation of the world. This has
reinforced that Nepal is definitely an
ultimate destination for adventure sports
activities."
They are now trying to
go into the Guinness Book of records as
having played the highest game of rugby
ever - at 5,140 metres up on the slopes
of Mount Everest.
Nepal unique, safe
place: Finnish mountaineer
“Nepal is a very
unique country where foreigners can find
good hospitality and people are friendly.
Besides these, Nepal is also one of the
few countries of the world where foreigners
feel the safest”, says Veikka Gustafsson
a mountaineer who comes from the world’s
one of the flat countries level Finland.
“On every Friday
night even in the Finnish capitalHelsinki’s
Railway Station is not a safe but I feel
here safer all the time”, he added.
Veikka, who was in capital
on way back home after climbing Mt. Dhaulagiri
on May 12 was talking with The Rising
Nepal here the other day.
With this, he had set up
a record of so climbing 11 out of 14 world’s
highest peaks of above 8000 metres.
“Now three mountains
Kanchenjunga, Gashebrum I and II
are left to be climbed”, says Veikka.
Veikka came to Nepal in
1993 dreaming of to climb the world’s
highest 8, 848 meter high snow-peak Mt.
Everest. H was the first Finnish to climb
Mt. Everest at the age of 25 that time.
Since then every year he
has been coming to Nepal and has climbed
the other over eight thousander mountains.
“When I came to Nepal
for the first time, the people were kind
and happy. Even in these days people are
smiling and friendly. But they seem more
advanced looking at them on the streets.
This is a new experience for me”,
shared Veikka of his experience.
“After my success
of Mt. Everest there were many articles
published in Finnish newspapers. This
helped more and more Finnish people to
know about Nepal and Nepalese,”
says Veikka.
When we come to Nepal for
expedition, “there will be only
mountain in our mind but when we leave
Nepal there are people in our mind”,
says Viekka.
“Climbers are the
ambassadors of Nepal. After going back
to their respective places, they (the
climbers) will speak to thousands of people
about Nepal and its art, culture, history,
social, economy and many more”,
he said.
In order to make the mountaineering
easier for the advancement of mountaineering
activities, Nepal government should change
the rules and regulations of the existing
mountaineering policies”, he suggests.
“Mountains are very
much similar to the University of Culture,
because in mountains we could meet people
from various cultural background and could
exchange the respective cultures. For
me the cool and tough mountains give not
only motivational changes but also encourage
for team building aspect. Thus, Nepal’s
Himalayas have given me lots in my life”,
says ace-climber Veikka.
A publisher of Finnish
outdoor magazines by profession Veikka
also does modelling for various Finnish
products and also teaches Finnish students
on different issues and thinking of need
to give courageous lessons for the students.
That is at least to do something-special
work in their life.
“After climbing the
three more eight thousanders, I will involve
fully in promoting Nepal’s tourism
sectors”, says Veikka.
So far, there are three
Finnish national who had climbed Mt Everest.
But two of them have already given up
climbing after their first successful
ventures. However, Veikka Gustafsson,
the first Finnish to climb the Mt. Everest,
is still vying for the prestigious title
of the First Finnish to climb all the
14 highest peaks of the world.
(This news feature is published
in The Rising Nepal on May 24, 2005)
Tourists to get VAT
refunded
According to a Financial
Ordinance-2061 provision, which the government
has recently decided to implement, Value
Added Tax (VAT) paid by tourists on goods
worth more than Rs 15,000 would be refunded
at the time of their departure. The decision
will come into effect from May 1. Any
international tourist, who has not been
employed in Nepal for the past six months
and has not stayed for more than 183 days
in Nepal, can claim VAT refund on his
purchases. The VAT refund applies only
to goods being taken out of Nepal within
60 days of the date of purchase. For the
time being the provision will benefit
tourists leaving through the Tribhuvan
International Airport (TIA). The Ministry
of Finance (MoF) has directed the Rastriya
Banijya Bank (RBB) to open a branch at
the TIA lounge to provide refund services
to tourists, according to a bank source.
The RBB unit will refund the amount in
foreign currency to the tourists. The
Ministry of Finanace has directed the
Inland Revenue Department (IRD) to provide
application forms VAT Refund for Tourists
at department stores with immediate effect.
New procedures for
recording mountaineering feats
Press
Release April 11, 2005
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil
Aviation (MoCTCA) issued the working modalities
related to keeping mountaineering records
on April 8, 2005.
The Ministry took the decision
on March 31 after the realisation that
a clear-cut working procedure for endorsing
different records achieved by mountaineers
in the high mountains was needed to ensure
efficient management of the entire procedures.
Claimants of mountaineering
records should from now on follow the
set procedures.
1. The new working modalities
require those mountaineers willing to
set records to present in writing their
future plans to the Ministry at the time
of briefing that takes place concurrently
with the issuance of the climbing permits.
2) The leaders of the mountaineering teams
must make their plans in coordination
with the high altitude Sherpas if possible.
3) The mountaineers must provide proof
of their feats by making available photographs
that state clearly the date and time of
reaching the summit apart from informing
the liaison officers through their communication
sets about the different settings as they
go along the mountaineering routes.
4) The mountaineer, who aims to establish
a feat, must inform about the item he
wishes to leave at the summit as a mark
of memory. He will have to inform this
to the liaison officer in the presence
of the members of his expedition team
and a representative affiliated with the
mountaineering sector.
5) The mountaineer needs to give the inventory
of the items that he/she wishes to take
along to the liaison officer before setting
out on the expedition.
6) In the course of the expedition, the
mountaineer claiming a fresh record should
present proof of this by submitting photographs
taken with other mountaineers he meets
on the way back.
7) Besides, he/she needs to submit a photograph
that shows all the four directions of
the summit including the item of memory
to be left behind.
8) The claimant must take video pictures
and photographs of the trails and places
that he/she treks through to furnish proof
of the record.
9) If possible, the mountaineer needs
to carry with him a Global Positioning
System that is attached to an altimeter.
He/she needs to make arrangements to send
the details of his whereabouts in the
mountain to the Ministry through satellite
phone whenever he establishes radio contacts
with the base camp.
10) The mountaineer needs to furnish details
in writing of the people, locations, climate
and if possible even the photograph on
reaching the summit. The details must
be submitted to the liaison officer at
the base camp.
11) The Ministry will make public its
views about mountaineering records after
verifying the proof of the details submitted
Trek to EBC holds
7thposition in Top Ten 'Once In A Lifetime'
Trips
iExplore announced a list
of Top Ten "Once-in-a-Lifetime"
Trips, as determined by unique travel
inquiries at iExplore over the last year
on March 7, 2005. Trek to Mount Everest
Base Camp (EBC) has been placed in seventh
position in Top Ten ranking. Nepal is
the only South Asian country to have chosen
in this prestigious list. Last year The
UK's leading magazine The Observer had
ranked the Everest Base Camp in seventh
position in 20 Journeys of a Lifetime.
Champagne Flight to the North Pole has
been registered as number one in the ranking
which is followed by Travel to Timbujtu(Mali)
and Back and Sea Kayak the Panama Canal.
iExplore founder and CEO,
George Deeb, said, "As the Baby Boomers
are approaching early retirement, they
are less interested in accumulating hard
assets at this stage in their life, and
they are more interested in accumulating
life changing experiences."
Deeb continued, "The
above list shows you how far consumers
are willing to go to get as unique an
experience as possible, providing them
with travel memories and 'travel bragging
rights' for a lifetime."
Founded in 1999, iExplore(R)
is the leading online seller of adventure
and experiential travel. iExplore offers
hundreds of made-to-order, guided tours
that visit the farthest corners of the
earth, particularly the man-made and natural
wonders of the world.
Top Ten Ranking
are as follows:
1 - Champagne Flight to the North Pole2
- Travel to Timbuktu (Mali) and Back
3 - Sea Kayak the Panama Canal
4 - Stay With a Mongolian Family in the
Gobi Desert
5 - Cage Dive with Great White Sharks
in South Africa
6 - Camel Caravan Across the Sahara Desert
7 - Trek to Mount Everest Base Camp
8 - Take a Hot Springs Bath in Iceland
9 - Balloon Safari Over the Serengeti
(Tanzania)
10 - Walk Rainforest Tree Canopies in
the Amazon
Top
24 hrs Hotline Telephone
Service at Nepal Tourism Board
To effectively respond
the problems tourists and tourism entrepreneurs
in Nepal and abroad may come across, Nepal
Tourism Board has taken a holistic approach
to address these problems by running its
Media Center 24 hours which is manned
by efficient staff effective from February
23, 2005. The Center is supported by Crisis
Response Action Unit already established
to facilitate the tourists. In order to
better facilitate tourists and tourism
entrepreneurs, the Nepal Tourism Board
has strengthened Media Centre with extra
manpower and Direct Hotline Number to
respond the queries and to take necessary
initiatives for prompt action. The staff
on duty is available at Direct Hotline
Number 977-1-4225709 round the clock.
Inquiry can be made through fax or email
at 977-1-4254298 or mediacenter@ntb.org.np.
The main objective of establishing
24 hrs hotline service at Media Centre
of Nepal Tourism Board is to answer the
queries of tourists and tour operators
regarding the tourism industry of Nepal
and to provide information service or
any other type of assistance as and when
required. Nepal Tourism Board believes
that this new measure taken by it will
definitely yield positive results in the
future in terms of providing additional
service to the tourists and tourism entrepreneurs.
New Tourism Service
Fee Scheme implemented
His Majesty's Government
has issued the Financial Ordinance 2061-62
on January 14, 2005 which has made the
new provision for Nepal Tourism Board
to collect its Tourism Service Fee of
NRs. 565 (including VAT) from Tribhuvan
International Airport from the Foreign
nationals/ tourists traveling by air only
at the time of their departure revoking
the previous system of collecting 2% Tourism
Service Fee from tourists in different
services which includes hotel, restaurant,
rafting, trekking, tour, cable car etc.
The Foreign nationals/ tourists will have
to pay it at the counter of NABIL Bank
at the airport along with Passenger Service
Charge (Airport tax) while departing from
Tribhuvan International Airport. This
new scheme is expected to better facilitate
the tourists, says Nepal Tourism Board.
Nepal in 2005
The Independent UK asked
the travel experts to name this year's
top destinations under the banner of Where
to be, what to see in 2005. Here is the
comments of two travel experts who mentioned
Nepal in their interviews. These interviews
were appeared in The Independent Online
Edition in January 01, 2004.
Steven Berry, owner of
Himalayan Kingdoms, UK's leading adventure
company and a vetern climber. Travellers
are also looking at trekking beyond the
Himalaya and the Andes. There are increasing
opportunities to go walking in countries
such as Laos and Cambodia, where people
have only ever really gone to see the
sights. We hope things will improve in
Nepal, though all our trips went off without
incident this autumn.
Piers Pickard, deputy editor,
'Wanderlust' Something that I'm sure will
take off this year is adventure travel
with children. It's becoming far more
common, and for travel agents it's a big
area of business. Twenty years ago, mum
and dad went off trekking in Nepal. Now
they've got two little nippers and they're
discovering they can still go.
Mt. Cho-Oyu climbing
fee halved
The government has reduced
climbing fee by 50 percent for ascending
8,201-metre high Mt. Cho-Oyu for five
years (from December 1, 2004 to November
30, 2009) in a bid to encourage mountaineers
to use Nepali route while scaling the
mountain.
A mountaineering expedition
team with seven members had to pay the
royalty of US$ 10,000 to climb the Mt.
Cho- Oyu. Mountaineers have been using
the Tibetan route to climb Mt. Cho-Oyu
for sometimes. The Golden Jubilee of the
first ascent Mt. Cho-Oyu was observed
on October 19, 2004. The Ministry of Culture,
Tourism and Civil Aviation had decided
to mark the golden jubilees of the eight
thousanders following the success of the
Golden Jubilee Anniversary of Mt. Everest
in 2003 which had immensely helped boost
Nepal’s mountaineering tourism in
the international market.
Visa & Trekking
Permits on Public Holidays
The offices of the Department
of Immigration will remain open on public
holidays, including Saturdays and Sundays
to provide visa and trekking permits to
tourists and trekkers. The Home Ministry
says the offices will remain open from
11:00 AM to 4:00 PM on holidays. It further
says instructions have already been given
to the offices to implement the decisions.
The process to form a committee had also
been started to see whether any change
in laws and regulations were needed to
help the travel and tourism sector of
the country.
