Nepal Tourism Year 2011 (NTY 2011)

Government of Nepal has declared year 2011 as the Nepal Tourism Year 2011 with an objective to achieve substantial growth in national economy at large and tourism industry in particular through new programs in the wake of historical transformation. Since peace and stability have been reestablished in the country, it has become imperative to reposition and revive Nepal’s image as a prime tourist destination. To address it, government of Nepal announced to celebrate ‘Nepal Tourism Year 2011’ in the Budget speech made by Finance Minister Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai on 19 September 2008. The national campaign of Nepal Tourism Year 2011 is a result of a rigorous exercise carried out by government and private sector to rejuvenate tourism industry once again giving impetus to effort made by people of different walks of life to establish tourism as backbone of Nepal’s economy.

As per the decision made by Cabinet Meeting on 2065/06/03, the Government of Nepal has formed the Main Organizing Committee under the convenership of Hon’ble Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation together with Joint convenership of the Hon'ble Vice Chairmanship of National Planning Commission. There will be 61 members in Main Organizing Committee that includes various line Ministries and Department, Chief of District Development Committees, Metropolitan, Sub-Metropolitan cities and Municipalities, presidents of travel trade and other related associations and institutions. Some 23 other institution/organization would be invitees in the same. The Chief Executive Officer of Nepal Tourism Board has been designated as the Member-Secretary of the Committee.

The Main Organizing Committee meeting held on January 18, 2009 at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has decided to form 14 different functional sub committees and 5 regional sub committees to carry out different promotional, development and coordination works to make this mega event successful.

Fourteen Subcommittees that are being formed to carry out different activities and works are:

1. Policy Advocacy Sub-Committee
2. Physical Infrastructure and coordination Sub-Committee
3. Product Improvement and Development Sub-Committee
4. Events, Festivals and Activities coordination Sub-Committee
5. Marketing, Promotion and Publicity Sub-Committee
6. Human Resource and Capacity Building Sub-Committee
7. Aviation and Transport Coordination Sub-Committee
8. Resources Mobilization and Monitoring Sub-Committee
9. Natural and Culture Heritages Sub-Committee
11. Legal Affairs Coordination Sub-Committee
12. Diplomatic Relation Coordination Sub-Committee
10. Political Affairs coordination Sub-Committee
13. Crisis Management and Security Coordination Sub-Committee
14. Mountain Tourism coordination Sub-Committee

Similarly, regional sub committees will be formed in all five development regions.

1. Eastern Development Region Sub-Committee
2. Central Development Region Sub-Committee
3. Western Development Region Sub-Committee
4. Mid-western Development Region Sub-Committee
5. Far-western Development Region Sub-Committee

The Sub-Committees will draft respective Terms of Reference, Calendar of Events, Schedule of Programs, Action Plans, and Budget for implementation. The Secretariat has urged private sector travel trade, tourism related institutions and individuals for voluntarily contribution by participating at the desired sub-committee.

In addition to functioning as Secretariat of Nepal Tourism Year 2011, Nepal Tourism Board, will align its following programs and activities to promote and highlight the Nepal Tourism Year 2011 campaign:

• Nepal Tourism Year 2011 will be promoted in 12 prominent travel trade fairs in the major source markets: Europe, Australia, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Malaysia. Similarly, NTY 2011 will be highlighted in the country focused programs being organised in Europe, Australia, China, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, and South Korea,
• A high level delegation along with Nepalese travel trade will visit the major source market and will interact with local media and travel trade for effective promotion of NTY 2011
• Nepal Tourism Year 2011 will be promoted during UFTAA Congress, being organized by NTB and NATTA in November 2010 in Kathmandu
• Corporate houses in the source markets will be approached and invited to hold meetings, conferences and exhibitions ( MICE),
• NTY 2011 will be highlighted on all the promotional gateways of NTB. Private sector travel trade, at home and abroad, will be requested to promote NTY 2011,
• Promotional Affiliations will be developed with Non-Resident Nepali Associations, Friends of Nepal, International Travel Trade Associations, and Corporate Houses for NTY 2011 promotion,
• Promotion will be made through artists, mountaineers, actors and other celebrities
• Nepal Tourism Board will invite 300 international journalists for FAM tour from source countries like China, India, South East countries, Bangladesh and Europe to highlight Nepal Tourism Year 2011 in the international media. NTB is in process of signing MoU with international airlines flying to Nepal for promoting Nepal internationally.
• New posters and brochure will be designed for Nepal Tourism Year 2011. A new website will be launched soon about Nepal Tourism Year 2011.
• Felicitation desk at airport will be upgraded and made tourist friendly
• Community tourism and Home Stay will get a special focus to diversify tourism movement into potential tourism areas of the country such as in Shree Antu Danda, Basantapur area, Khaptad, Rara, Gorkha etc.
• In association with communities, local bodies and related institutions, NTB will develop trekking trails in the Mid-western and Far-Western Development Region.
• Training programs will be organized in new tourism areas
• NTB will review and revise the existing Tourism Marketing Strategy 2005-2020 in line with the targets declared by the government.
  

Main objectives of the campaign are to establish Nepal as a choice of premier holiday destination with a definite brand image; to improve and extend tourism related infrastructures in existing and new tourism sites; to enhance the capacity of service providers; to build community capacity in the new areas to cater the need of the tourists; and to promote domestic tourism for sustainability of the industry. Besides, some quantified targets are set to achieve one million international arrivals in a year, to see at least 40 percent of the arrivals beyond the present tourism sites, to encourage additional investment on tourism infrastructures by 50 percent as well as to maintain the record of domestic tourism in the country.

Nepal Tourism Year 2011 campaign will focus its marketing and promotion activities on regional and emerging markets, in exploring new tourism potential market segments, highlighting the tourism brand: Naturally Nepal - once is not enough!. It will also concentrate its effort for enhancement of air connectivity with the regional, emerging and potential markets; lobby with the government for sufficient budget allocation to improve and expand tourism related activities infrastructures in existing and new tourism areas; and attract and encourage private sector for investment in tourism sector.