Govt to unveil special action plan to promote home-stay

Kavrepalanchowk / March 9: The government is gearing up to unveil a special action-plan for promoting home-stay for tourists in Nepal.

The government has prepared to launch programmes to reinvigorate the home-stay, one of the forms of tourism, which was adversely affected following the earthquake and India-imposed unofficial border blockade on Nepal.

Launching an 11-point Balthali Declaration of the National Association of Tourism Journalists (NATOJ) at Balthali on Tuesday on the sidelines of NATOJ maiden full meeting, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Ananda Prasad Pokharel reaffirmed the government’s commitment on the same.

Minister Pokharel underscored the need for the government to introduce plans at policy-level to promote rural tourism and attract investment, arguing that the rural tourism was foundation of any other forms of tourism.

“Although the tourism was recognized as a growth sector in the national economy, it is still backward due to lack of promotion of country’s biodiversity and cultural heritages,” said Pokharel, urging the tourism entrepreneurs to pay attention towards quality hospitality.

He also spoke of the need for the government to identify more tourist spots and promote them. Also speaking at the programme, Chief of CPN (UML) Tourism Department Surya Thapa appealed with the Ministry for Culture, Tourism and Aviation, Nepal Tourism Board and other stakeholders to take support from tourism journalists as partners in tourism promotion.

He stressed on introducing special discount in the tourism packages to attract more tourists to the country.

Similarly, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB)’s Board Member Rajendra Prasad Sapkota shared that the NTB was actively pursuing programmes related to tourism promotion.

Likewise, NATOJ’s President Shiva Adhikari reaffirmed that the Association is effortful for identifying new tourist spots in the country and promoting the rural tourism. More than 25 tourism journalists attended the event at the Balthali Eco Hill Resort in Balthali. RSS