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Kathmandu Saturday October 06, 2001 Ashwin 20, 2058.
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WTO team to visit Nepal on tourism plan
Post Report
KATHMANDU, Oct 5 – The executive level team of World Tourism
Organisation (WTO) is coming to Nepal within November to formulate a Master Plan for
tourism development in the Himalayan country.
"The preliminary draft of the Master plan has already been made but it
would be finalised only after the discussion with the visiting team," said Bal
Bahadur KC, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.
Minister KC was talking to pressmen at the Tribhuvan International Airport on
his return after attending the 14th General Assembly of the WTO that was organised in
Korea and Japan.
The Master Plan includes several tourism-related programmes, such as
developing infrastructure, formation of new policies, identifying the areas that can help
in promoting Nepali tourism market in international arena, he said.
"At a time when the whole tourism sector is at a downturn, especially
after the devastating terrorists attack at the United States, Nepal talked with several
nations and has insisted that Nepal is still a safe place to visit," Minister KC
said. "We tried to cash on the natural beauty and the religious importance of
Buddhism in Nepal."
The Nepalese visit to the WTO assembly has also identified Japan as a
potential tourism market for Nepal. With an aim to attract more Japanese tourists, Nepal
has requested the Japanese counterparts for opening the international airport for Nepal at
Tokyo. "The Japanese officials have shown positive response on the issue,"
Minister KC said.
Latest findings have shown that an additional flight can be carried with the
existing aircraft of the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation, he said. "We are thinking
to fly an additional flight it to a new destination. It might be to Japan too."
122 countries out of a total 139 member countries of the WTO participated the
14th general assembly. All the member countries at the conference condemned the recent
terrorists attack at the United States, informed Minister KC.
At the beginning of the assembly, Nepal was nominated as the vice president
of the organisation. Nepal, as a vice president would represent South Asia in the
committee. The next general assembly is going to be held at China in 2003.
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