Tourism Day Celebration
Action Has The Say

By Mohan K.C.

HARDLY much has been left out when speaking about the tourism potential of the country. The natural wonders, the art and architecture and even the hospitable and friendly Nepalese people have been highlighted in talking about tourism as such. But the scenario in a nutshell is not as bright as it could have been otherwise.

Theme

Only the other day World Tourism Day was organised with the necessary or rather very vital views and opinions coming forth from the tourism experts and entrepreneurs. It is a day that reminds one of what state the tourism sector is and what more could have been done.

The central theme for this year’s Tourism Day is quite comprehensive and farsighted in that it elaborates on "Technology and Nature: Two Challenges for Tourism at the Dawn of the Twenty-First Century". The thrusts involved is plain if one has the insight into what is going on in the tourism trade the world over.

Nepal is also not an exception when it comes to realising the potential that tourism has for the country in terms of both income and employment generation. But what is forgotten is that the same technology that offers us untold benefits can also turn out to be curses if a restraining hand on it is not kept. Like it has been said to have a thunderbolt in hand offers deterrence to others but one has to realise that the same can prove fatal to the hand that holds it.

The technical innovations have changed the face of the world. Tourism too has come of age just because the world has become a global village and travel to any part of the world has been made more convenient and faster than ever before. The influx of tourists to the most popular destinations has had its share of detrimental effects.

The pressure on nature including the flora and fauna has had its share of worries. The concerns are not limited to the developed parts of the world alone but the worst sufferers are the developing nations. The poorer nations are just too willing to go to any length to attract and please the visitors. Despite limited resources at hand besides those of tourist interest, the natural resources are being plundered. Even the endangered species of animals and birds have not escaped the axe.

Nepal also stands at the threshold of maximising the benefits from tourism but the only hitch is that despite so manAy decades of dabbling in tourism promotion the results have not been very encouraging. Every year’s budget lays quite a bit of priority on the tourism sector; the participation of the private sector is a pivot. Yet the state of tourism in Nepal cannot be said to be satisfactory.

The country does not lack the essentials that can make tourists flock to savour the delights that is unparalleled in the world. The highest peak in the world combined with a variety of climates and culture cannot be found anywhere in the world.

The "challenges" as the theme of this year’s slogan contains sums up the whole story. It is not merely the identification of the challenges that brings out any solution as if by miracle. The challenges have to be assessed before further action to find out the ways and means to overcome them.

A country of natural beauty that Nepal is need not be reiterated. Yet the fact remains that harping on the same theme every year that passes does not hold attraction for all times. The need is to go for diversification. Diversification does not mean displacing tourism for something else. Endowed with natural resources and cultural heritage, they have to be presented in a manner that can meet the ever-changing tastes and interests of the new breed of tourists.

The problem here has been one that is somewhat complacent with the achievements made. It is not to say that nothing has been done. But the long term vision has been missing. What plans and programmes are designed do not meet the demands for a year or two. The celebration of a Visit Nepal Year 1998 or the one to be held in 2002 alone does not solve the problem. The strategies have to be on a long term basis for which planners must focus. One objective fulfilled does not necessarily mean that that’s the end. It’s an ever-going process. There’s no time to rest but the mind has to keep on working to develop new products.

What was true for the 1960s and 1970s is not necessarily true for the twenty-first century. Times have changed dramatically. The world economy has gone a vast change. The population has also gained strength. There are more people travelling nowadays than ever before. Considering the number of travellers on the hop around the world Nepal has seen only a negligible increase in arrivals. This means that we have not been able to keep up with the expectations of the potential tourists or that our promotion and publicity attempts have been flawed.

Products must be designed so that the country can cater to a wider variety of tourists coming from diverse countries. The undercutting to cater to the limited number of tourists is bound to effect the quality of services that are offered. Let thoughts go into this facet also.

Only opening up new areas for tourists will not solve the problem. The use of new technology must go hand in hand with the conservation of nature because nature is the groundwork for tourism promotion. No one come to the country to see tall skyscrapers though the case may be different when we have a desire to visit New York.

Panacea

It’s time realisation dawned that rhetoric on the tourism potential was replaced with pragmatic policies and action plans where even the people at the grassroots benefited. An equitable distribution of tourism gains is the panacea. The only way out to bring in a million visitors or more to Nepal is being more practical and learn from the countries which have done wonderfully well in tourists amidst the tough competition existing. The plus points must be exploited in the years to come rather than mark Tourism Day as just one more in the array of formalities.

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