Nepal Aims for a Million Tourists by 2011
In a new initiative aimed at helping Nepal to become better established as a prime holiday destination, the Nepali government has announced a goal of reaching one million tourists by 2011. The year has been earmarked as Nepal Tourism Year and officials are doing everything in their power to make sure that it is a massive success.
Hisila Yami, the Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation announced at the first Nepali Tourism Year 2011 promotion program held on Sunday that the government would be making efforts to improve the existing infrastructure in Nepal. This includes developments to hotels and airport facilities to make them more tourist-orientated. The Nepali government has also made an announcement that it will be giving free visas to all tourists visiting the country for a second time.
Some of the improvements in preparation for Nepali Tourism Year 2011 include various infrastructure developments which will be made within the Tribhuvan International Airport. There will be massive landing discounts and parking during peak hours will be vastly cheaper. The Ground Support Equipment Parking Area will also be given a new extension. A Common Users Terminal System is also in the pipeline and will make it easier for passengers to check in as easily and quickly as possible.
The main objective of the Nepali Tourism Year campaign is to not only see that Nepal becomes a major tourist destination, but to improve the country’s brand image, and to develop and extend tourism related infrastructure. Service providers will be encouraged to provide a better service and new tourism sites are also in the pipelines. By the end of the campaign and with the stable political situation in the country, Nepal really should be a prime tourist destination by 2011. If all goes according to plan, the country is likely to attract at least one million international tourists by 2011. And because so many people are visiting, a vast tourist-based income will be generated. Thus the benefits of this tourism project should ultimately benefit the people of the country, whether they experience financial gain either directly or indirectly from the tourism industry.