Tourism industries in Sri Lanka and Nepal have welcomed the recently started direct flights operated by Sri Lankan Airlines connecting Colombo and Kathmandu, thus removing a long felt impediment to promote tourism between the two countries. In this backdrop, Sri Lanka Embassy in Nepal joined hands with Nepal Tourist Board (NTB) and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), to promote tourism between Sri Lanka and Nepal and explore opportunities for collaborative activities. A webinar was held on 30th September 2021 hosted by Nepal Tourist Board, bringing together the tourism promotion institutions and tourism industry stakeholders from Sri Lanka and Nepal onto one platform. The industry representatives welcomed the direct flight and discussed opportunities for collaboration to promote tourism, as well as the measures that need to be in place to instil confidence in customers travelling during the pandemic. Delivering the opening remarks, Chief Executive Officer of Nepal Tourism Board, Dr. Dhananjay Read More
Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agency (NATTA) organized the 10th Blood Donation Program to commemorate the 42nd World Tourism Day on September 27th, 2021 in partnership with Simrik Air. The Blood Donation Program was a success thanks to the support of our NATTA Executive Board Members as well as our wonderful Volunteers. As this is the 10th blood donation event organized by the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA), the blood donation program has been in place since 2012. As the Blood Donation slogan goes Blood Donation is a great act of kindness, Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) would like to extend its deepest gratitude to all blood donors for their generosity.
On the 42nd World Tourism Day, September 27, 2021, the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) held an online Tour Guide Training Program in collaboration with PUMS Netherlands. Mr. Herman Sieben from the Netherlands volunteered to share his experience with our interested learners, and it is an honour to be able to organize four days of training by top professionals from PUMS. Mr. Herman Sieben has more than 25 years of experience as a tour guide. The training took place from September 27th till September 30th.
Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agency (NATTA) organized the 10th Blood Donation Program to commemorate the 42nd World Tourism Day on September 27th, 2021 in partnership with Simrik Air. The Blood Donation Program was a success thanks to the support of our NATTA Executive Board Members as well as our wonderful Volunteers. As this is the 10th blood donation event organized by the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA), the blood donation program has been in place since 2012. As the Blood Donation slogan goes Blood Donation is a great act of kindness, Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) would like to extend its deepest gratitude to all blood donors for their generosity.
Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) received an honorary award from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MOCTCA) as an acknowledgement for the contribution to the tourism industry through support and coordination. The award was time-honored to the Chairman of Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA), Mr. Achyut Guragain on the occasion of 42nd World Tourism Day on 27th September 2021. Despite the situation, especially due to COVID-19 the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) was working on all available means to stabilize and revive the tourism industry. NATTA would like to express its gratitude for being recognized for its work, such recognition is an honour and great respect.
Tourism organizations together have demanded the removal of quarantine provision for travelers arriving in the country to revive the tourism industry. It has been demanded to provide on-arrival visas for tourists instead of making them stay in quarantine. These demands were highly raised in a meeting organized by the NATTA on September 16 at its Secretariat. Stating that the tourism sector has been adversely affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government's indifference, NATTA held a meeting with the Presidents of the tourism associations. Participants of the meeting demanded the government to make necessary arrangements to provide an on-arrival visa by removing the quarantine provision, opening the border with India, and implementing a one-month free visa for tourists announced by the government immediately. The meeting has also decided to resort to protest programs if the government does not address the demands immediately. Likewise, the tourism entrepreneurs have Read More
Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) had a joint meeting with NATTA BIMSTEC Committee and Outbound Tour Committee at NATTA Secretariat. The meeting jointly discussed the issues of the dollar exchange and the discussion on the working modality of the BIMSTEC committee in the coming days to heighten Nepalese tourism. The meeting was held on September 15, 2021, under the coordination of Chairperson Mrs. Jiswan Tuladhar with the introductory session of all the members and later on, was discussed the issue of dollar exchange. In this meeting, Senior Vice President Mr. Binay Basnet, Vice President Mr. Ramesh Thapa, Secretary General Mr. Sudhir Kumar Upadhyay, Executive Member Mrs. Laxmi Karki and committee members were present.
On 13th September, the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) had a close meeting with the newly appointed Country Manager of Air India Ms. Priti Sawant at NATTA Secretariat. The meeting was held to discuss the refund case which hadn’t been solved in the case of Air India. Yet the settlement is still in process. In the meeting, Senior Vice President Mr. Binay Basnet, Secretary General Mr. Sudhir Kumar Upadhyay, Joint Treasurer Mrs. Yubika Bhandari, Executive Members Mr. Bishnu Karki and Mr. Dendi Sherpa, and the APJC committee members Mr. Bishnu Basnet of Serene Travels, Mr. Shyam Raj Thapaliya of Osho World Travels and Mr. Deepak Chaulagain of Everest Miracle Travels were present in Joint Meeting.
Buddha Air opened direct flights for three days (Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday) a week starting from September 1, 2021. The direct airfares from Pokhara to Simara are expected to increase the activity at religious and tourism sites in and around Simara and Birgunj, helping businesses as Simara is close to the Birgunj-Simara industrial corridor. Previously, there were no regular flights on the route as traveling between the cities of Gandaki and Province 2.
An interactive discussion was held for the possible steps to be taken in the development and expansion of the tourism sector at the pandemic situation at the Nepalgunj region. Organized by Banke National Park on 28th August 2021 in collaboration with Banke Tourism Forum, NATTA Banke Chapter and other associates, it had the participation of local government officials, CEO of Nepal Tourism Board, President of NATTA Central, officials of local administration, representatives of political parties and tourism stakeholders. NATTA President Mr. Achyut Guragain suggested that attention should be given to the 'branding' of the National park and tourist facilities along with the need to connect the famous religious sites and rafting in the area, adding that the government should facilitate private sector for the investment in the development of tourism. During the interaction, mostly the invited guests urged that the environment should be favorable for Indian tourists to enter Nepal Read More
As per the latest update from Valley Tourism Office, Hattiban Lalitpur tourism companies who have failed to renew their tourism license due to pandemic situations can now renew their license within the end of Falgun 2078. Together with tourism associations, NATTA had submitted a letter to the Chief Minister and Minister of Industry, Tourism, Forest & Environment of Bagmati Province, Mr. Dormani Poudel at Hetauda requesting to extend the deadline for renewing the license to operate their agencies with no penalty for the late renewal.
Leading organizations in the tourism sector have demanded the government to provide vaccination against COVID-19. Tourism Associations, including the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA), Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN),), Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) met Minister of State for Health and Population Mr. Umesh Shrestha in his office. The delegation handed over a three-point joint letter to the Minister of State Shrestha and demanded that the vaccine against COVID should be made available to the leading tourism service providers and workers, employees and stakeholders in the concerned tourist destinations across the country within 30 days. It has been requested that the foreign tourists who come after completing the vaccination against COVID should not be imposed with the provision to stay in the quarantine and only the 'positive' case should be kept in the quarantine by arranging PCR testing at the entry points of Read More
The tourism sector had supported more than 1 million jobs directly and indirectly, and the numbers would have been increased, had not been the COVID pandemic situation, as currently, many hotels, resorts, airlines and travel and trekking companies have been forced to shut down. Several workers in this sector work based on You earn, you eat. Most people may be able to cope with the current difficulties but for some, it has been a harsh moment. As such, to assist in the rehabilitation of the tourism sector, Sustainable Tourism for Livelihood Recovery Project (STLRP) has been established, which is a joint collaborative project by the Nepal Tourism Board and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). NATTA has signed an MOU with NTB and STRLP on 18th August 2021 to involve around 600 tourism workers associated with travel and tours for short term employment opportunities by involving them in construction and Read More
NATTA organized a Hiking Program in and around Tarkeshwar with the presence of NATTA Executives and tourism associates from tourism associations on Saturday, 14th August 2021. In the program organized in coordination with Tarkeshwar Municipality, CEO of Nepal Tourism Board Dr. Dhananjay Regmi had been invited as Chief Guest. Also, the Chief Officer of Valley Tourism Office Mr. Tanka Prasad Bhattarai, NATTA Executives, official representatives of various tourism associations and Tarkeshwar Press Forum and representatives of various invited tourism associations were present. During the official Welcome program, the CEO of NTB Dr. Dhananjay Regmi assured that NTB would assist in promoting the potential tourist destinations in the national and international markets in cooperation with the municipality. Likewise, NATTA President Mr. Achyut Guragain believed that Tarkeshwar would be a suitable domestic tourist destination near Kathmandu with the promotion of diverse nature, historical heritage and local products of the destination. Similarly, the Read More
Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank Mr. Maha Prasad Adhikari unveiled the Monetary Policy for fiscal 2021-22 on 13th August with its primary focus on revival of the COVID affected enterprises. The Monetary Policy has given continuity to the refinancing policies put in place last fiscal to help reduce the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic on industries. Moreover, the banks and financial institutions are now required to maintain the credit-deposit ratio at a maximum of 90 per cent, against the 85 per cent requirement in the Monetary Policy of 2020-21. The Monetary Policy also addresses the concerns of hospitality, entertainment, and aviation sectors that have been hit hardest by the pandemic. It also pays special attention to the sectors facing liquidity crunch due to the pandemic. The policy has a provision of loans up to Rs 2 lakh for the repair and maintenance of public transport, another sector badly hit by Read More
Different umbrella organizations related to tourism have demanded vaccines against coronavirus to entrepreneurs, employees and staff deputed in the frontline at tourism destinations within 30 days. Issuing a joint press release on 10th August, the tourism-related organizations urged the government to open all tourism sectors by taking initiative for creating a trustworthy environment in the international tourism sector by providing vaccines against COVID-19 to all citizens at the earliest for the revival of tourism business hit hard due to COVID-19. They also demanded immediate implementation of policy and programs related to tourism announced in the budget of the current fiscal year 2020/21 and making arrangements for tourists visiting Nepal and inoculated with a full dose of vaccine against coronavirus so that they need not stay in quarantine as well as arrangement of PCR test at the airport and other entry points. Similarly, implementation of free visa immediately to implement 'visa Read More
Nepal Chamber of Commerce has expanded the Tourism Promotion and Culture Committee of the organization. Mr. Deepak Raj Joshi, Mr. Hikmat Singh Ayer, Mr. Binay Basnet, Mr. Yuvraj Shrestha, Mr. Khum Bahadur Subedi, Mr. Janakraj Kalakheti, Mr. Bikram Pandey, Mr. Hari Prasad Dharel and Mr. Dev Chandra Lal Karna have been nominated under the chairmanship of working committee member Mr. Arjun Sharma. President of Chamber Mr. Rajendra Malla said that all the bodies associated with the tourism sector should be involved in the promotion of the tourism sector in Nepal as the epidemic of COVID-19 has affected the sector more.
A delegation of Presidents of Tourism Associations called on Hon'ble Prime Minister, Mr. Sher Bahadur Deuba at his office at Singha Durbar. The joint memorandum themed 'One Voice for Tourism' consisting of industry's 'immediate actions' to 'mid-term issues and long-term plans' was handed over to the Hon'ble Prime Minister further clarifying him of the real scenario of the Covid-hit industry. The discussion was focused mainly on immediate actions for the survival of the tourism industry, establish Funds such as Relief Fund for Employees, Business Facilitation Fund for Employers and the Rehab-oriented Monetary Policy among others on the occasion. Likewise, the current need such as vaccines, financial support especially on loans, refinancing, restructuring, some waivers along with the need for special legal policy and privileges to tourism sector and one door system and one-way communication mode was demanded proper operation of the industry. The memorandum also requested the participation of the Read More
Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) celebrated its 54th Annual General Meeting on July 13, 2021, in a Hybrid Style via Zoom Application. The inauguration of AGM had the physical presence of Chief Guest Mr. Yadab Prasad Koirala, Tourism Secretary of Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MOcTCA) and Special Guest Dr. Dhanajaya Regmi, CEO of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). Mr. Yadab Prasad Koirala and Dr. Dhanajaya Regmi spoke a few words regarding the current situation of the tourism sector of Nepal, the impacts and consequences of Covid-19 and praised the contributions made by NATTA through the pandemic. Mr. Juergen Steinmetz, President of World Tourism Network and Guest Speaker at the AGM was virtually present where he shared his prolific insights about tourism worldwide and the steps to be taken post-COVID by the tourism industrialists. Special Guest Dr. Dhananjaya Regmi inaugurated NATTA's significant biennial publication, Membership Directory Read More
