TAAN delegation meets Prime Minister Oli

                    TAAN delegation meets Prime Minister Oli

A delegation of Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) led by President Chandra Prasad Rijal paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sharma Oli at the latter's residence in Baluwatar on Thursday. Office-bearers and executive committee members greeted PM Oli with bouquets, khadas and token of love. On the occasion, President Rijal briefed PM Oli of the activities being carried out by TAAN and its role in the development of adventure tourism in the country.TAAN also handed over a 24-point memorandum to PM Oli, drawing the latter's attention toward different problems that Nepali tourism industry, particularly the adventure tourism sector, is facing.

Among others, TAAN requested PM Oli to make necessary direction for effective implementation of new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and TAAN for effective implementation of Trekkers' Information Management System (TIMS). Similarly, it also urged the government to gradually open restricted areas for foreign trekkers so that locals there can get due benefits from tourism. It also requested PM Oli to take necessary initiative for lowering permit fee to Upper Dolpa and Upper Mustang to US$ 100 per person per 10 days. The delegation also urged the Prime Minister to do the needful for issuing restricted area permits from the tourism ministry itself instead of Department of Immigration.Drawing the attention of PM Oli toward difficulties in welcoming and seeing off guests in the absence of TIA Golden Gate entry pass, the delegation urged him to introduce identification cards for tourism entrepreneurs and facilitate movement of such card holders in different tourist areas, including airports. The delegation also requested PM Oli to take needful policy decisions to eradicate syndicate system in transportation sector and facilitate smooth movement of tourists across the country. Stating that imposition of VAT was making Nepali tourism products and services expensive compared to competing markets, the delegation suggested that the government impose a maximum of 3 percent VAT on transactions of tourism entrepreneurs.

sought package program, including concessional loans, to revitalize tourism sector that was hit hard by the April earthquake and Indian blockade. The delegation also urged the government to deploy a team of liaison officers in one mountaineering instead of sending one liaison officer with every group. It also urged the government to deploy liaison officers only for peaks above 7,000 meters. The delegation also requested the government to reduce royalty fee of mountain peaks in Nepal after studying royalty fee in other competing markets like India and Tibet.

Among others, the delegation also urged PM Oli to take necessary initiative for barring foreign investment in trekking sector. TAAN also urged PM Oli to designate Kora La along Nepal-Tibet border as the entry point for tourists and pilgrims heading to Kailash-Mansarovar area of Tibet. Kailash pilgrimage from Nepal has been affected following closure of Tatopani entry point after the April earthquake. It also urged the government to waive off permit fee for all mountain peaks in mid and far western region till 2020. Similarly, it also requested the government to waive off all taxes and VAT for tourism enterprises based in these reasons for five years.

The delegation also urged PM Oli to provide all tourism-related service under one-door system. At present, tourism entrepreneurs have to visit different ministries for different services.

the existing provision of garbage deposit was not practical, the delegation suggested introducing non-refundable 'Environment Conservation Fee' instead. Similarly, the delegation requested PM to make necessary directions for easing filming in Nepal Himalayas to encourage documentary makers which will in turn help in tourism promotion. It also requested PM Oli to take necessary policy decisions for 100 percent waiver of customs duty on import of trekking equipment like satellite phone and radio sets, among others.

Other demands include inclusion of tourism education in school and college curriculum, revisiting the new provision of furnishing bank guarantee for trekking entrepreneurs, 50 percent customs duty waiver on import of vehicles for tourism enterprises, among others.Responding to the delegation, PM Oli said he would make needful directions after studying the demands.Along with Rijal, Senior Vice President Tashi Lakpa Sherpa, 1^st Vice President Tej Bahadur Gurung, 2^nd Vice President Ram Prasad Sapkota, General Secretary Karna Bahadur Lama, Secretary Mukti Pandey and Treasurer Lila Baldav Dahal were in the delegation. Similarly, Executive Members Sarita Lama, Devi Pandey, Wangchu Sherpa, Basudev Lamsal, Dambar Bahadur Adhikari, Taranath Lamichhane, Pemba Sherpa, Surya Bahadur Ghimire, Dawa Lama Tamang and Shital Chandra Dharel were also present in the delegation.

 

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A delegation of Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) led by President Chandra Prasad Rijal paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sharma Oli at the latter's residence in Baluwatar on Thursday.
Office-bearers and executive committee members greeted PM Oli with bouquets, khadas and token of love. On the occasion, President Rijal briefed PM Oli of the activities being carried out by TAAN and its role in the development of adventure tourism in the country.
TAAN also handed over a 24-point memorandum to PM Oli, drawing the latter's attention toward different problems that Nepali tourism industry, particularly the adventure tourism sector, is facing.
Among others, TAAN requested PM Oli to make necessary direction for effective implementation of new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and TAAN for effective implementation of Trekkers' Information Management System (TIMS). Similarly, it also urged the government to gradually open restricted areas for foreign trekkers so that locals there can get due benefits from tourism. It also requested PM Oli to take necessary initiative for lowering permit fee to Upper Dolpa and Upper Mustang to US$ 100 per person per 10 days. The delegation also urged the Prime Minister to do the needful for issuing restricted area permits from the tourism ministry itself instead of Department of Immigration.
Drawing the attention of PM Oli toward difficulties in welcoming and seeing off guests in the absence of TIA Golden Gate entry pass, the delegation urged him to introduce identification cards for tourism entrepreneurs and facilitate movement of such card holders in different tourist areas, including airports.
The delegation also requested PM Oli to take needful policy decisions to eradicate syndicate system in transportation sector and facilitate smooth movement of tourists across the country. Stating that imposition of VAT was making Nepali tourism products and services expensive compared to competing markets, the delegation suggested that the government impose a maximum of 3 percent VAT on transactions of tourism entrepreneurs.
- See more at: http://www.taan.org.np/news/2218-taan-delegation-meets-prime-minister-oli#sthash.ZD6IyZvZ.dpuf

Quake-hit send warm clothes to Capital

Earthquake survivors in Dhading have sent warm clothes to top political leaders in a symbolic protest after the local bodies delayed the distribution of winter relief in the district.

They dispatched woollen caps, gloves and shawls among other materials to the leaders. A group of displaced people in Dhusha VDC handed over the winter items and a piggy bank to Chief District Officer Bishow Prakash Subedi. They requested him to hand over the materials to the political leaders.
Eight months after the Gorkha quake, people are dying due to the chill in their flimsy tents as the government has failed to help them rebuild their homes. The government blames the political deadlock and the ongoing blockade of imports from India for the lack of progress in resettling the displaced people.
More than 8,800 people were killed and over a million displaced in the April 25 earthquake. The Post-Disaster Needs Assessment estimated that $6.7 billion will be needed for reconstruction.
The quake survivors sent woollen shawl to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, a woollen cap printed “I love Nepal” to Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala and woollen gloves to UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The CDO had at first refused to accept the goods.
Although the government sent provisions to the district in the second week of December, they have not been distributed due to the CDO’s transfer, absence of VDC officials and geographical barriers.
The District Disaster Management Committee, however, had decided on December 18 to distribute relief immediately to those whose houses were destroyed in the April earthquake. CDO Subedi said he has directed VDC officials to distribute relief to affected households in 40 VDCs. The district administration has allocated Rs690 million to the local bodies.  Organi-sations including Nepal Red Cross Society distributed winter goods in five VDCs.

  source bye Kathmandu post

Govt waives visa fee for Chinese tourists

Govt waives visa fee for Chinese tourists

Chinese tourists will not have to pay visa fee to enter Nepal henceforth.

In a bid to boost arrivals from the north, the Cabinet on Friday decided to waive the fee for Chinese visitors—a facility enjoyed only by visitors from Saarc countries so far.

The Cabinet decision came immediately after Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa announced the new visa policy during bilateral talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Friday.

The Chinese government also lifted travel advisories to its citizens travelling to Nepal with immediate effect. The advisory was issued by the Chinese consular service network in the context of earthquakes in Nepal. “This marks the tour normalization for Chinese citizens in Nepal,” read a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement. Foreign visitors have to pay $25 for a 15-day visa and $40 and $100 for 30-day and 90-day visas, respectively.

“It’s a welcome move,” said Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, secretary at the Tourism Ministry. “It will help attract a greater number of Chinese tourists to Nepal.”
He said Nepal has seen a phenomenal growth in the number of Chinese tourists over the past decade and this growth momentum is expected to continue in the years ahead with the new policy.

Over the past decade, Chinese tourist arrivals have jumped more than fivefold, making the northern neighbour Nepal’s second largest source market, attesting to the growing popularity of the Himalayan country among Chinese vacationers.

After becoming the world’s largest bloc of outbound travellers in 2012, Chinese tourists gained a bigger lead in 2013 and 2014. According to China Tourism Research Institute, China has been the world’s largest outbound market since 2012.

By November, 2014, China’s yearly outbound tourists reached 100 million for the first time. In the whole year, the outbound tourists reached 117 million, an increase of 19.16 percent over 2013.

The outbound tourists spent a record $164.8 billion overseas in 2014. China had 61.90 million outbound visitors in the first half of 2015, an increase of 12.1 percent compared with the same period in 2014.  

Nepal witnessed a constant growth in the number of Chinese tourist arrivals since June 2009. Tourism Ministry statistics showed Nepal received 123,805 Chinese visitors in 2014, up 10 percent year-on-year. Ministry officials attributed the rise to increased air connectivity. Currently, four Chinese carriers—Air China, China Southern, China Eastern and Sichuan Airlines—operate flights to Nepal.

The China National Tourism Administration categorized Nepal under the Approved Destination Status (ADS) for the first time in November 2001, after which Chinese citizens came to Nepal officially as tourists. Before 2000, the Chinese were allowed to travel to Nepal only on official visits.

In February last year, Nepal and China signed a revised bilateral air services agreement (ASA), permitting the operation of 56 flights per week. Under the old ASA, Chinese airlines were allowed to operate 14 flights every week to Nepal.
Favourite places in Nepal for the Chinese are Kathmandu, Pokhara, Jomsom and Muktinath. They are also shifting towards soft adventure sports like trekking, paragliding and rafting of late. Source by Kathmandu post