Promote green-tourism to bolster economy

By Gopal Tiwari
KATHMANDU, Dec 19 - Time is running out for countries like Nepal to promote green-tourism activities and present an exclusive offer to the global tourists on the eve of the new millenium.

Tourism entrepreneurs and the government need to go jointly to project Nepal as an exotic tourist destination.

Nepal is equipped with diversified tourism products, but the country has not benefited from the resources, thanks to lack of initiatives from the government and the private sector.

More importantly, Nepal is rich in bio-geographical diversity, unique natural beauty, distinct cultural heritage, religious tolerance and splendid hospitality. Nonetheless, the expansion of tourism activities has been confined only to limited areas. Expansion of tourism activities to the rural areas could help in creating more employment and generate income.

Minister for Industry Omkar Shrestha thinks tourism industry is a major industry, for its long-term development can support the economy. Minister Shrestha seems ‘enthusiastic’ to promote tourism industry.

Shrestha re-emphasizes that the government has already started adopting tourism-friendly policies and strategic approach through tourism infrastructure development projects and diversification of tourism products, among others.

Dr Harold Goodwin, global tourism expert, presently associated with the World Tourism Organization (WTO) talking to The Kathmandu Post says as tourism is the world’s largest industry, its conservation is urgent. Implementing management strategies to safeguard the sites of natural and cultural heritage is imperative which ensures the power of tourism is harnessed for the benefit of local people and conservation of the country’s biological and cultural diversity, Goodwin adds.

“Eco-tourism/green tourism activities has been growing bit by bit across the Asia-Pacific region which helps the local people to gain some benefits out of that”, said he.

He opines that strong traditional culture promotion would definitely help in the new millenium to grow tourism as a whole. Rural areas should be given more emphasis along with the participation of locals.

Of the total foreign currency earnings, tourism industry alone has contributed 15.2 percent to the national economy during the fiscal year 1997/98. As tourism activities are mainly concentrated in Kathmandu Valley, Chitwan and trekking routes like Annapurna and Khumbu region - it should be expanded, experts say.

According to WTO estimates, the tourism industry employs upto 10 percent of the world’s workforce and accounts for 10 percent of global gross domestic product. 

For the promotion of tourism as a whole, eco-tourism along with other elements likewise medical tourism, conference and convention tourism, cultural tourism, festival tourism, village tourism, adventure tourism need exclusive promotion.

Though eco-tourism is a new concept in Nepal, it has already got recognition in other parts of the world. Through appropriate tourism promotion programmes, issues like minimizing undesirable environmental and socio-cultural impacts of tourism, generating and retaining tourism income in the local economy, strengthening links between tourism and local development along with diversifying tourism products be taken up seriously.

Seiji Oshima, Head of Industry Division of Asian Productivity Organization (APO) Japan says if more number of people know more about eco-tourism, it would definitely back up economy.

 Oshima said this while addressing a seminar here Sunday on Eco-Tourism organized jointly by Asian Productivity Organization (APO) and National Productivity and Economic Development Centre (NPEDC).

About 30 participants from 18 countries from the Asia and Pacific region including Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, China, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Malaysia are taking part in the seminar.

Shyam Sundar Kakshapati, Chairman of Tourism Committee of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) pointed out the urgent need to expand the activities related to eco-tourism to protect most attractive tourist destinations like Khumbu and Annapurna regions.

Export promotion task force formed

By a Post Reporter
KATHMANDU, Dec 19 - Various industrial and trading organizations have cobbled an Export Facilitation Task Force (EFTF) with an aim to look after the probable solutions to various problems impeding country’s export.

Dhurba Narayan Shrestha, Vice President of Nepal Freight Forwarders’ Association (NFFA), leads the task force.

The task force is a result of an interaction programme organized by NFFA a few months back. The participants of the interaction programme had then suggested to form such a task force to study the export related hurdles.

The taskforce constitutes representatives from Central Carpet Industry Association, Export Council of Nepal, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Garment Association of Nepal, Handicraft Association of Nepal, Nepal Association of Customs Agents, Nepal Chamber of Commerce and Nepal Cotton Towel Export Association.

Chairman of the task force, Dhurba Narayan Shrestha expressed hope that it would play an effective role to do away with the existing problems associated to the export sector. Since the task force is participated in by a wide array of business organizations, I hope it will reach to the crux of the problem and recommend solutions, said he.

Economy, finance and market

By Supa Upadhyay

Domestic money and capital Economy, finance and market:
Despite having ample liquidity in the banking system, the yield on the 91-day and 364-day Treasury Bills (TBs) moved up sharply. Although, the NRB had received 35 bids worth NPR 1170 million against the notified amount NPR 672.2 for 90-day TBs and 27 bids worth NPR 930 million against the notified amount NPR 308.002 million for 364-day TBs, the Average Weighted Discount Rate (AWDR) of 91 day and 364-day rose by 24 basis points to 4.29 percent and by 36 basis points to 5.67 percent respectively compared to their previous close. The rupee was traded higher at 99.03 and lower at 98.86 for 91-day. Likewise, the rupee was traded higher at 94.93 and lower at 94.30 for 364 day. In the weekly auction, the NRB is going to issue a renewal lot of 91-day TBs worth NPR 750 million and 364-day TBs worth NPR 110 million on December 21, 1999.

The stock market recovered marginally in term of price and trading volume. After the close of primary sale of NIC Bank’s share, the investors were calculating to purchase expensive shares of commercial banks. A the result, the NEPSE index-100 improved by 1.41 points to 256.90 from previous week’s close of 255.49. This week, the index of Commercial bank, production sector, hotels and insurance/finance groups improved while business and other groups dipped down. The big profit makers Joint Venture Banks are about to close the book for the fiscal year 2055/56, the prices of these banks may register further higher in near term. This week broker had quoted the prices of 53 companies in the trading board but only 42 companies were traded. Commercial bank groups alone shared 53.18 percent of the total trading amount.

Altogether, 55718 shares of 42 companies were traded in five working days. Eighteen companies improved while twelve companies lost. Other twelve traded scrips remained unchanged at their previous prices. HISEF, Harisiddhi Brick & Tile and Taragaon Regency Hotel registered first, second and third most traded companies trading 20420,6960 and 5030 shares respectively. Share of Nepal B’desh Bank and Taragaon Regency Hotel were only able to trade in all five working days. Whereas, Himalayan Bank, Nepal Bank Ltd, Nepal SBI, Everest Bank, Bank of Kathmandu, United Insurance and People Finance were able to trade in four working days.

Forex round-up:
The dollar finished the week with moderate gain against all its major partners. It had drifted lower in the previous few weeks as fears of the US asset market weakness weighed upon USD sentiment. Yet the USD was unable to maintain sustainable upward momentum against the yen.

At present it is hard to make any meaningful medium and long-term forecasts for foreign exchange levels as the market tries to gauge whether the US market can continue growing at its current pace and whether the Eurozone has genuinely turned the corner in term of economic recovery.

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