Pokhara tourism entrepreneurs agitated

The tourism entrepreneurs of Pokhara have quizzed Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sudan Kirati on various topics related to tourism, including the operation if international flights from the Pokhara International Airport.

They put up various queries to the Minister in the course of an interaction on tourism organised by the Pokhara Tourism Council. The tourism entrepreneurs asked questions to the Minister as why the federal government has not taken initiatives for conducting international flights and from when such flights would be started.

International flights have not been so far operated at the Pokhara International Airport since its inauguration on January 1.

On the occasion, Minister Kirati said that he has been taking initiation for starting the international flights from Pokhara.

Describing Pokhara as an outstanding destination and a tourism university, he said he has taken much interest for its development. He added that he would familiarize himself with the process for the operation of international flights from Pokhara and forward works accordingly.

The Tourism Minister also reiterated that he was positive towards resolving the problems seen in the tourism sector.

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) chief executive officer Dhananjaya Regmi said that the Board Members have not presented the agenda of infrastructure development for tourism promotion and hence the amount allocated for tourism promotion left unspent.

He was responding to the tourism entrepreneurs' question regarding the amount allocated for tourism promotional activities not spent as the NTB has failed to prepare its work procedures.

Tourism entrepreneur Ganesh Bhattarai said there was haste in inaugurating the international airport in Pokhara but without completing the necessary home work for starting the international flights. He urged the federal government to take the necessary initiation to that end.

NTB Gandaki chief Kasiram Bhandari clarified that there was problem spending the allocated amount for tourism promotion as he was not authorized to release the amount in the absence of the work procedures.

Pokhara Tourism Council chairperson Pom Narayan Shrestha said that the level of enthusiasm of the tourism entrepreneurs of Pokhara after the inauguration of the Pokhara International Airport has now dampened with the delay in starting the international flights from this airport.

Among other problems facing the tourism sector, he pointed out lack of concrete tourism policy on the part of the government and the hefty interest rate charged by the financial institutions and the pressure they are exerting to the tourism entrepreneurs.

Mahabir Pun of the National Incubation Centre stressed on the need of research for the development of tourism sector.

Founding president of the Tourism Council Ashok Palikhe, former president Gopi Bahadur Bhattarai, and the presidents and representatives of various organisations as TAAN, HAN, NATTA, TESA, EGA, NTVA, WOTEF, Money Changer, the Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry, VTOF, Nepal Air Sports Association aired the problems in their respective sectors.