The Nepal Tourism Year 2011 AD

After the dawn of republican, the new coalition government has declared Year 2011 AD as the "Nepal Tourism Year". Though, its sound very active and progressive but in a under -developed country like our where development lies at the stake of grants and loans , the question of implementing such a big campaign at the risk of past experience is question that haunts the tourism experts and policies makers. Just looking back to past campaigns like Visit Nepal 98, Destination Nepal 2002 and other campaigns the result have not been that lucrative, perhaps if look at the normal growth rate then it’s quite exciting showcasing an increase of around 30 percent in the arrivals rate every year. So why waste extra effort and money designing a new campaign when we can use the same money to improve the quality and make the present better.Just look at the Naturally Nepal once is not enough campaign (2006). It was made by Alchemy an Indian company at the cost of Nrs 100 Million but if u considered its money value and return then, its very complex and controversial.Likewise, if daily necessity of proper management of Traffic, customer services in regards from the time of arrival to departure, security, sufficient numbers of information centers are prioritized in the tourism policies and industry then the arrivals coming in Nepal would get more out of it rather then a new campaign which would list a program schedule hosting various programs at site and creating controversial situation However, the image of new campaign seems too imaginary when we are not able to quantify the needs of the arrivals coming here at present. Everyday tourists are harassed in hubs and centers both physically and verbally where the local tourism stands in the sole efforts of individual marketing.Now, looking back to the new campaign, the new campaign aims to welcome, a million tourists in a year. The question here is not about development, growth and progress, the question here is about providing sufficient services and accommodations to the arrivals where they would comfort in. New Nepal perhaps means showcasing big dreams and hopes where the vitality and reality goes miles away. The need of time is not a new Nepal but consequently a better Nepal with better leaders who have vision not just dreams and hopes to lure the diffused public.“It just takes a spark to burn but when it burn it engulfs the whole” so these word perfectly display the types of people we need rather than people who shallow their word in playing the usual games of power and policy.

By Shreedeep Rayamajhi