HEADLINE NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

Nepalese jubilant as RA resumes Dubai flights

From Kishore Nepal

Dubai, June 19: The Nepalese community working here are jubilant on the resumption of Royal Nepal Airlines' Kathmandu-Dubai-Kathmandu flights. Speaking on behalf of the Nepalese community, Mukti Rai, a specialist with Acer Computer here since the last 17 years, said that the flight will help the Nepali community to establish direct communication with their families back home.

Addressing a gathering of eminent persons from the travel and trade, Rai requested the RNAC management to provide some facilities to the passengers returning home. Responding to the request instantly, the RNAC management announced 40 kg baggage facilities to the Nepali people working here, instead of the previous 20 kg.

"Baggage facilities are the main attraction" said Ram Thapa, a young Nepali working at Airport Hotel. According to him, Pakistani and Bangladeshi Airlines are popular among the people here as they provide up to 55 kg baggage facilities.

Low fare is not the only attraction, it is the baggage that matters to us, Thapa said.

And there are tremendous possibilities to promote Nepalese tourism in the Gulf region, Joy Dewan, President of NATA says. Narendra Bajracharya, President of HAN, and Suman Pande, President of TAAN, both support Dewan.

"This is an untapped market for us and this is readymade," three key persons from the tourism sector said. "The Arab people are nature lovers and enjoy the cool weather and greenery of Nepal," they say.

Our off season could transform into a boom season if we tapped the market sensitively, Dewan said. "For this RNAC should have the consistency, while the Tourism Board and the government should help professionals' to develop an integrated package for this region."

"Tourism people here in Dubai consider Nepal as one of the undersold tourist destinations of Asia," Dewan said. He said that the people from the tourism industry from Nepal should invest in projecting the country as an attractive destination for the Arab people who want to avoid the heat in June, July and August.

"We have all the amenities to cater to this luxury loving community who love soft adventure. From Jomsom to jungle safari, rafting to short treks, we can develop a very attractive package to lure them, Bajracharya said. He feels aggressive marketing will pay rich dividends.

"We should promote the Nepali community as brand ambassadors of Nepal tourism for the Gulf" Suman Pande suggested.

Representatives of Nepali Samaj feels neglected as "'there is no representation of our government here. Riyadh is quite far away and the embassy people are inaccessible." Most of the Nepalese think that the government should open a consular office in Dubai.

And, regarding RNAC flight, they are keeping their fingers crossed. They are happy that RNAC flights, but are not sure about their continuity.

Thapa said that RNAC's behaviour was most unpredicatable.

Many people suggest that RNAC should open its own office to look after business affairs and also to promote itself.

"RNAC should tie up with major airlines for feeder traffic. It should respond and initiate the proposal. Dubai facilitates easy connection between Europe and Asia, and this is also an emerging economy. RNAC should sketch a more optimistic future. It could be a potential airlines that will cater not only to the Nepali community but also to the millions of Indians who will love to go back to their country via Kathmandu," said a member of the Nepali Samaj.

Other Stories