Mountain tourism has huge potential: Vice President Pun

Gandaki / Dec 10: Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun asserted that Nepal possesses a huge potential in mountain tourism.

Vice President Pun said it while inaugurating the 7th Mountain Festival organized by the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) at the International Mountain Museum in Pokhara today on the occasion of International Mountain Day that falls today.

Lamenting that Nepal was not being able to harness the full potential of mountain tourism, Pun spoke of the need to leverage the natural riches of Nepal for tourism promotion and to attain prosperity. He said so citing eight of the 14 mountains above 8,000 metres and other natural attractions in Nepal.

Nature, cultures and various ethnicities are our assets, the VP said and underscored the optimal leverage of those assets. He viewed that mountain tourism could make a special contribution to the tourism sector in Nepal.

Similarly, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Jivan Ram Shrestha said that biodiversity is another important aspect of Nepal. Minister Shrestha underscored job creation in the tourism sector by optimizing resources in Nepal.

Minister for Tourism, Industry, Commerce and Supplies in Gandaki Province, Mani Bhadra Sharma Kandel, expressed his concern that the impact of climate change had started affecting the mountainous and hilly areas in recent days.

NMA’s President Nima Nuru Sherpa called for the State’s attention to the development and conservation of mountain tourism.

On the occasion, VP Pun honoured various persons in recognition of their contribution to the mountaineering sector. RSS