“VISIT NEPAL YEAR 2020”: DESTINATION POKHARA

Challenges & Opportunities

A report for LA GRANDEE Expo-2018

“Bridging Academia to Community”

Submitted To
LA GRANDEE Expo Team
(Affiliated to Pokhara University)

Pokhara-8, Simalchaur

PRESENTED BY:-
Bikalpa Regmi
Parbati K.C.
Subidha Basnet

1st August 2018

 Contents
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................3

Objectives of the study...............................................................................................................4

Observations/Activities..............................................................................................................5

I. Primary methods:................................................................................................................5

II. Secondary methodss:.........................................................................................................5

Findings......................................................................................................................................6

Summary....................................................................................................................................8

Conclusions................................................................................................................................9

Recommendations....................................................................................................................10

Bibliography:............................................................................................................................11

Appendices...............................................................................................................................12
 INTRODUCTION

According to the United Nation world Tourism Organization (UN/WTO), tourism entails the
movement of people to countries or places outside their usual environment for personal or
business/ professional purposes. These people are called visitors. Generally speaking, a
visitor is classified as a same day visitor if their trip doesn’t include an overnight stay and a
tourist if it does include an overnight stay. The purpose of their trip can be for business,
leisure or personal reasons, other than to be employed by a resident entity in the country or
place visited. The Late Sir Stafford Sands, a successful lawyer and politician, who is often
referred as the “Father of Tourism” because of his pioneering efforts in guiding the early
development of the industry. Nepal, especially Pokhara referred as the most beautiful and
visited place in comparison to other places for tourists. The culture, religion and climate are a
major factor which has contributed a lot in the development of tourism in Nepal. Although
many of us have been “tourists” at some point in our lives, defining what tourism actually is
can be difficult.
After the success of Visit Nepal Year 1998 and Nepal Tourism Year 2011, the Tourism
Board of Nepal introduced Visit Nepal Campaign 2020. The Campaign was announced in
2015 to be held in 2018 but later postponed to 2020. The Visit Nepal 2020 Campaign was
scheduled in 2018 to promote that Nepal was a safe place to travel and only 12 of 75 districts
were affected by the earthquake. The crawling upgrading activity of Tribhuvan International
Airport and delayed construction of Gautam Buddha International Airport in Lumbini and
improper transportation infrastructure led the Tourism Board to postpone the campaign to
2020.
History of Nepal Tourism
Tourism in Nepal started after the first successful ascent of Mt. Everest on 29 th may 1953 by
Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary. Before 1951 Nepal was closed for
foreigners because of autocratic rule of Rana regime. After democracy came in 1955,
foreigners were welcomed by Nepal Government by providing them tourists’ visa. After the
successful ascent of the highest peak in the world Nepal started to be a new destination for
foreigners. In 1958 Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation, presently known as Nepal Airlines
Corporation started its operations as Nepal’s first aviation service provider. In 1959, Nepal
also became a member of International Union of Official Travel Organization.
 Objectives of the study

 To find out the major attraction of tourist towards the Campaign Visit Nepal Year
2020.
 To know what activities can be done to promote Pokhara during Visit Nepal Year
2020
 Observations/Activities

The methods that were used at the time of data collection are broadly categorized in to two
categories:
They are:
I. Primary methods:

 By doing direct interview with local people from different parts of the Pokhara city
about the campaign.
 By visiting to the top 10 tourism sites of Pokhara valley like :
 Phewa Lake
 Begnas lake
 Mahendera cave
 Bat’s cave
 Devi’s fall
 Kaskikot
 Sarangkot
 Kahunkot
 Chinese gumba (Peace Stupa)
 Hemja ( Bungee jump )
 By interacting with different tourists from different countries.
 By visiting to Nepal Tourism Board, Pokhara

II. Secondary methods:

 By collecting the data from the tourism related organizations.

 By collecting data from the internet.
 By details study of the news articles, magazines, etc
 By discussion with seniors and teachers.
 Findings

Through the study we found that the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation
(MoCTCA) had planned to celebrate visit Nepal year- in 2018, which was put off due to the
delay in construction of airports, heritage sites and roads. Now, the government has planned
to bring in 2 million tourists each year by 2020. For increasing the inflow of tourists in Nepal,
Nepal Tourist Board (NTB) is applying the following plans and strategies:
 Give priority to the early completion of construction and expansion of the
international and domestic airports, heritage sites and other tourism
infrastructures.
 Since Pokhara is a major tourist destination of Nepal, where nearby one third
of the total international tourist visit, the regional office of NTB in Pokhara
should be upgraded with more rights and authorities.
 The board of Pokhara should focus on the major safety and security of
domestic and international tourists.
 In Pokhara there is limited tourist spots which are also not very much
developed. So respected people should focus on man-made infrastructure that
tourists may like to spend more time.
Tourists Arrivals by:
Indicator 2016 2017 % change
Air 572563 760577 32.8
Land 180439 179641 -0.4

Top 3 country of Nationality:

Rank 1 India India

Rank 2 China China
Rank 3 Sri lanka U.S.A

Purpose of visit:
Purpose of visit 2016 2017 % change
Holidays/ pleasure 489452 658153 34.5
Pilgrimage 82830 141033 70.3
Trekking and 66490 75217 13.1
mountaineering
Tourists Arrivals by Major Airlines:

Major airlines 2016 2017

Rank 1 Nepal Airlines Jet Airways
Rank 2 Qatar Airlines Nepal Airlines
Rank 3 Air Arabia Qatar Airlines
Revenue from Tourism
Total Earning (US 554530 658092 18.7
$’000)
Average expenses/ 53 54 1.9
visitors/day ( US$)
Tourism related enterprises:
Hotel 2016 2017 %change
Hotel Star 120 125 4.2
Hotel Non-star 942 977 3.7
From the above data, we found that tourists come to our country more by airways than by
land ways. Through the data we conclude that Indian and Chinese tourists are in maximum to
visit Nepal. So we have to provide extra facility focusing for their comfortless. Maximum
number of people visits Nepal for holidays/pleasure, pilgrimage and trekking and
mountaineering. In 2016, Nepal airlines were in the first rank to bring the tourists from the
different countries but in 2017 it goes on second rank. So Nepal airlines should give
emphasizes on own airlines to make tourists cheaper to travel Nepal. Revenue from tourists
was increased by 1.9 from 2016 to 2017. The target of VNY 2020 is two million for which
the number of star & non-star hotels should be increased.
Summary

Nepal though a poor country has been blessed with rich natural and cultural heritage and
hence has opened gate of opportunities for her. Tourism has come long way with its root back
developed in 50s. With its growing and valuable contribution towards the development of
Nepalese economy in context of increase in national production and income, creating
employment opportunities, improving regional imbalance and to develop the image of Nepal.
In an international community, made an immense need to promulgate different plans and
programs, implementations strategies, facilities and incentives scheme creation of
institutional arrangements, develop and expand tourists attraction points. Nepal is 5 th among
the top 10 countries to visit in the world and number one in Best Valued Destination in the
world. Then why wouldn’t they be, Nepal boasts pristine natural beauty, sky – high
Himalayas Range and endless culture and traditions spread out all over the country.
Conclusions

For Nepal, tourism is considered as an important asset to increase the national economy. It is
therefore, essential to consider all the aspects of tourism development to present the country
the best place to travel explore and adventure. After the campaign “Visit Nepal Year 1998”,
the government realizes the importance of tourism sector and the contribution of it in our
national economy. Pokhara, as already mentioned one of the beautiful place should focus on
providing better facility to the tourist. Nepal Tourism Board must consider safety and security
as an important factor for tourists. So, proper security should provide to them. And also try to
find out those tourists who are overstaying in Nepal illegally. Those routes which are not
mentioned in map, should be guided and directed properly. When we interacted with the
tourists, they had a complaint about the lack of internet access, shortage of necessary
infrastructures for proper development of existing as well as feasible tourists’ places. And at
last, we have to give our 100% to make feel to the tourist that visiting Nepal once is not
enough.
 Recommendations

In order to attract tourist, government should have preserve existing culture, arts and
movements and research in this field should be carried out to introduce new culture, best arts
etc. Sanitation and hygiene are the major problems facing by tourist here. In order to improve
these problems there are some major steps to be taken by governments and Tourism Board
for the development of tourism in Pokhara, they are:
 To keep city clean, to arrange a clean public toilet; to create various destination
interesting and pleasing way; and to preserve them.
 There are few proper hotels/lodges and other accommodation facilities and also they
are situated at the Lakeside area only. Due to these problems tourists don’t like to go
outside of the Lakeside area. So, concern people should give attention to make
international standard hotels and hotels outside of Lakeside area.
 To increase the foreign currency and number of tourist’s arrivals, concerned authority
must give attention to lengthen their stay and provide good security for tourists.
 To develop tourism, tourist information centers should be established in different
places of Pokhara valley so that tourists could easily get information about hotels,
travelling routes trekking etc.
 To develop tourism in Pokhara political stability, concerned authority must implement
tourism awareness, proper education system and new tourism policies.
 Newness is a source of pleasure to tourists so; government and tourism board should
identify new places and adventurous things like resort area, paragliding, bungee
jumping tourism for rapid development of tourism in Pokhara.
 Only the single government cannot develop tourism alone so; the government should
coordinate local government municipality, NGOs/INGOs and private sector for
development of tourism sector in Pokhara.
 Bibliography:

 Sonar. (2004). Wikipedia

 Loukissas, Philippos J. 1978 Tourism and Environment in Conflict: The Case of the
Greek Island of Myconos. In Tourism and Economic Change
 Regmi, Mahesh C. 1963 Land Tenure and Taxation in Nepal, Vol. 2. Berkeley:
University of California Press.
 Swain, Margaret Byrne 1977 Cuna Women and Ethnic Tourism: A Way to Persist and
an Avenue to Change. In Hosts and Guests: The Anthropology of Tourism. Valene L.
Smith, ed. Pp. 71-81. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
 Appendices
Tourists attracting sites of Pokhara Valley.
Field visit to tourism related places.