NATIONAL 9 (Spotlight Weelky)]

A New Venture

British wool is gradually showing its appearance in Nepal's market

By A CORRESPONDENT

Nepalese carpet manufacturers are beginning to choose British wool as the raw material. New Zealand and Australian wool which dominates Nepalese carpet market, is gradually getting replaced by British wool.

With the initiative of British Embassy and British Trade International, wool mission from both the countries are making efforts to forge a permanent alliance.

"British wool is a superior natural carpet fibre thanks to a special combination of resilience, softness and warmth," said Richard Poole, Product Manager of British Wool Marketing Board.

Carpet is one of the major export items of Nepal to the third countries. Nepal imports large amount of wool from New Zealand and Australia.

"There is a need to diversify the market for the wool import and carpet export to third country," said Lobsang Lama, managing director of Gomang Carpet Manex (P) Ltd and executive member of Central Carpet Industries Association. "As British wool is very different in quality, Nepalese carpet entrepreneurs may benefit from using it."

It is also a matter of interest that by using British wool, Nepalese carpet can explore new markets in Europe. "It is time that Nepalese carpet entrepreneurs joined hands with European wool manufacturers and forge a new symbiotic relation instead of relying on Australian or New Zealand wool," said a carpet entrepreneur.

Others, too, agree that British wool has uncompromising quality for carpet manufacturing. "The British Wool is more strong and gives more yardage in terms of weaving. The use of British wool may help to promote Nepalese carpets in different parts," said Rajendra Khetan, President of Nepal Britain Chamber of Commerce and Industry in a seminar organized at British Embassy.

Nepal imports 13,000 metric tons of wool annually from Australia and New Zealand. But the major market for Nepalese carpet lies in Europe and America.

British manufacturers claim that British wool in particular meets the most rigorous demand of carpet manufacturers and consumers alike.

At a time when production of Nepalese carpets continue to rise, there is a need to have alternative markets for wool. "We are making every efforts to export Nepalese carpet to the market in UK which currently imports a very small quantity of carpet as compared to other countries like Germany and United States of America," Khetan said.

Carpet manufacturers are also enthusiastic about the market prospect in the U.K. During our visit to UK, we had meetings with prominent British importers of oriental carpets. The use of British wool may help to expand our market there," said AG Sherpa, President of Central Carpet Industries Association.

Following the successful British wool promotional event on January 2000 and mission of Nepalese carpet manufacturers to the United Kingdom, the seminar discussed the possibility of British Wool Marketing Board's plan for licensing Nepalese carpet producers.

Thamel.Com To Be Launched

On the occasion of New Year 2057 B. S., Thamel dot Com Pvt. Ltd. is going to launch the first ever website of its kind compiling information about Thamel, the most popular tourist hub in the Nepali capital. The website (www.thamel.com) chronicles information about hotels, restaurants, and other tourism-related agencies based in Thamel. The website has been designed with a view to promote and develop tourism of the area through Internet, the most powerful medium of communications in the 21st century.

The Company believes that through this website, tourists will be attracted more toward other touristic potential of Nepal. The website will provide up-dated information on business and touristic activities to people in every corner of the world irrespective of where they live. Both foreign website visitors and local visitors and tourists are expected to benefit from this website. The potential traveler and businessmen who want to visit or do business in Nepal could make on-line reservation of hotels on the web. The business organizations individual sites are also linked with this website for making all kinds of enquiries, bookings, ordering and purchasing online.

This website will thus be the 'virtual tourist site' to feel the real Thamel.