New areas of eco-tourism identified

Shree Ram Subedi

KATHMANDU, March 14 - At a time when Nepali tourism is plagued by regional disproportion, a consulting team working to advise the ADB and the Government to develop a eco-tourism, has identified new areas for eco-tourism development in Nepal.

The areas stretching from east to west including Simikot, Humla, the footpath trail to Hilsa (road head to Mt. Kailash), Dolpo district and Shey Phoksundo National Park have been identified as new places for eco-tourism promotion.

The other areas identified by Asian Development Bank financed advisory technical assistance (TA) comprise Makalu Barun National Park and Buffer zone and the Kanchenjunga area.

The team comprising foreign and national consultant is set to submit its final recommendation by 6th of May and agreement to implement the project is expected to be signed within this year.

The project expected to be implemented from the beginning of the next year is continuation of the ADB assisted ongoing IInd tourism infrastructure project, under which, upgrading of various airports of the kingdom are being executed.

The cost of the ongoing IInd tourism infrastructure project is 22 million US dollar.

Since the central focus of the ADB assisted project is poverty alleviation, the new project is termed as ‘eco-tourism project’ and aims to alleviate poverty via tourism development.

The projects consists "hardcore" packages including basic infrastructures like airports, trail facilities among others and the "softcore" elements including community awareness, community development, tourism training.

The hardcore elements includes proposal for upgrading remote airports like Tumlingtar, Surkhet, Simikot, Dolpo Juphal/Masine Chaur, which provide access to the proposed eco-tourism development areas.

Besides these remote areas, packages of hardcore and softcore have been developed for Tansen, in collaboration with Tansen Municipality, as an implementing partner. These packages include urban environmental upgradation and starting of an eco-tourism trail.

Likewise project also covers Lumbini where the focus is on the arrival procedures and visitor experience of Lord Buddha’s birthplace and of other Buddhist sites of interest in the locality. The tentative list includes: On-site interpretation, guides training, participatory planning for visitor services, development of the central link, water supply, sewerage and waste water treatment plant, solid waste, bus, Car and Taxi Parking.

Likewise the project will also covers Kathmandu, Pokhara, Lumbini eco-tourism circuits.

The team is currently finalising detailed and projects cost proposals with the implementation partner and undertaking an overall feasibility analysis. It is also consulting with stakeholders, local community and government officials to prepare the final draft.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) will finance nearly two third of the total cost estimated to be around 30 million US dollar and rest is to be covered by HMG and other agencies currently operating in the project areas.

The Technical assistance signed in February 2000, besides preparing eco-tourism project is to assist the government in preparing programme of action for further development of sector. Policies consistent with the objective for the sector, including empowering local governments and communities to implement subprojects as well as to recommend specific measure that will promote sector efficiencies at both the central and local government level are also being studied.

Speaking on a interaction programme titled "Eco-tourism in Nepal- The Way Forward", organised in the Capital today, Les clark, Project leader hoped that the project will address poverty, gender and environmental issues within the context of tourism development.

Nepal is regarded on the forefront in terms of eco-tourism development, said Clark. "This specific project will help to kick-start to economic development of the remote area as well as tourism development as a whole."

Earlier Lisa Choegyal, Eco tourism expert and Team leader of the project stressed the need of co-ordinated support to implement the project.

Nepali tourism is confined to a particular place be it trekking, mountaineering or rafting or any other adventure sport.

Statistics shows that nearly 491,504 tourist visited Kathmandu, 105546 tourist went to Pokhara, 67,371 reached Annapurna Conservation Area, 61,7999 tourist came to Royal Chitwan National Park and 24,561 landed at Lulkla and 10706 visited Lumbinei in the year 1999.

The other areas of the kingdom, though equally scenic, have to be satisfied with a meagre share of total tourists’ arrival.

Govt hikes airport taxes

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KATHMANDU, March 14 - The government has announced a hike in the taxes and service charges at the Tribhuban International Airport (TIA). The decision was taken by the Cabinet Monday.

With the latest announcement, passengers tax at the Tribhuban International Airport (TIA) for travel in the SAARC region has gone up by 40 per cent to Rs 700. Similarly, the tax for the other international sectors has risen to Rs 1000. However, the tax at other airports has been fixed at Rs 500, for SAARC region, and Rs 700, for other international sectors.

In addition, for the domestic sector, the Cabinet decided to impose tax of Rs 150 in airports falling under the category A and Rs 125 for those falling in B. The tax for the rest has been fixed at Rs 50, up from Rs 25.

Airports falling into category A include TIA, Pokhara, Bhadrapur, Biratnagar, Simara, Bhairahawa, Lukla, Nepalgunj, Jomsom and other medium sized airports. Those falling in B include Rajbiraj, Janakpur, Bharatpur, Tikapur, Dang, Surkhet, Dhangadi and Mahendranagar.

The latest decision was taken with an aim to make Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) self-reliant. The Board of Directors of CAAN had submitted a proposal to the cabinet to hike all kind of the fees being charged at the airports a few weeks ago.

"The decision was taken to make CAAN sustainable in the long run," said Barun Shrestha, Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation.

CAAN, which was instituted as an autonomous institution some two years ago after dissolving Department of Civil Aviation, has still not been able to become economically self reliant despite the initial government investment of over Rs 1 billion.

CAAN last year had incurred losses of Rs 100 million. While its collection stood at Rs 900 million, the expenses then had been 1 billion. The government had to inject additional Rs 160 million, apart from the Rs 1 billion investment. The Authority’s collection in the first six months of the current fiscal year stood at Rs 500 million.

Officials at CAAN are upbeat that the latest decision would accelerate the Authority towards self-reliance within the next few years. There are currently forty-four airports, including one international airport, four regional airports, seven middle sized airports and thirty-two small airports, in Nepal.

Himalayan Bank to open Development Bank

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KATHMANDU, March 14 - The Himalayan Bank Limited, a joint venture with Habib Bank Limited-Pakistan, is in the process of establishing a development bank, as its sister concern.

Himalayan Shumsher JB Rana, Chairman of the Bank, said, "We are fully prepared to open a development bank as our sister organisation and we have carried out necessary discussions with the central bank in this regard."

We are going to open the bank with a view to extend our services to productive and service sectors, but are taking cautious steps in view of the deteriorating law and order situation in the country, Rana said.

The bank has earned a net profit of Rs 199.3 million and 80 thousand in the last fiscal year, which is 20.65 per cent up in net profit of the fiscal year 1998/99. The annual general meeting (AGM) held today has also decided to provide an additional 20 per cent interim dividend from the net profit the bank has earned in the current fiscal year.

The bank had earned a net profit of Rs 165.2 million in the fiscal year 1998/99. The bank had then decided to distribute 35 per cent dividend in cash and 25 per cent bonus shares. The bank has already provided 15 percent interim shares to its shareholders.

Talking to The Kathmandu Post Wednesday, Himalaya Shumsher JB Rana, Chairman of the bank said that the bank had collected Rs 19 billion and 12 million by the end of the first six months of the current fiscal year. Similarly, the bank has invested Rs 9 billion and 76 million in the same period.

"Among the joint venture banks in the private sector, we are number one in deposit collection and lending and asset", he said. The bank has an assets of Rs 20 billion and 54 million.

Himalayan bank is the fourth joint venture bank that came into operation on January 18, 1993. It now has nine branch offices and one contact office. "Opening up new branches is our priority and we are studying to open more branches at new places," Rana said.

"Similarly, we have installed automatic teller machines (ATMs) at all branches of the capital city, introduce modern software and accept all kinds of international credit cards," Rana added.