By Sampada Anuranjanee Khatiwada

Kathmandu, Jan. 11: With the beginning of a new decade, Visit Nepal Year (VNY) 2020 has kicked off in Nepal.
Approaches from the governmental and private sectors are going on in full swing to make the campaign successful by hosting over 2 million tourists in the year.
Not only welcoming a huge number of tourists, but also ensuring their safety, security and hassle-free stay in a land where ‘guests are treated as gods’ are a major concern for everyone.
The Tourist Police Office plays a vital role in keeping the tourists informed and preventing them from harassment, mistreatment and criminal activities.
Inspector Ashmita Kapali, Tourist Police In-Charge at Tourist Police Office, Bhrikutimandap, said that the office had been striving to make the tourists’ stay in the country safe and comfortable.
“We mostly receive complaints about losing belongings, being deceived by travel agencies and missing complaints,” said Kapali. “As soon as we receive complaints from the tourists, be it verbal or written, we immediately coordinate with local unit police offices and take required action on it.”
Kapali said that most of the tourists complained about being hassled by the locals. Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) had launched ‘Tourist Police Nepal’ mobile application especially for VNY 2020.
Kapali said that the app would come in handy for tourists to inform the police if they go missing while vacationing in Nepal. “With the help of the application, we have been able to locate and rescue travellers who go missing,” said Kapali. “If we receive notice from tourists about being lost, we subsequently inform the unit police of the respective place about it.”
People visiting Nepal can also collect general information about the country from the app, Kapali said.
Kapali said that they had received 150 complaints through the app.
In line with VNY 2020, various language trainings are also being provided to policemen to ease their communication with tourists, she added.
“It would be easier for us to assure safe stay of the tourists in Nepal if the private sectors coordinate with us,” Kapali said. Balaram Neupane, a tourism entrepreneur, and chairman of Rasuwa Treks and Expedition Private Limited, said, “The government’s coordination with private sectors for promotion of VNY 2020 has certainly helped ensure tourists’ safety and security.”
Nepal, being a host for over 2 million tourists in 2020, it is our responsibility to restrain any doing that will affect the visitors’ safety, said Neupane.
“We, in coordination with the local levels, have decided to install information centers and help desks in the areas where we send our clients for trekking and expedition,” he said.
Safety of tourists travelling to Nepal should be the utmost priority of the government and private sectors, Neupane added.
Fransisco Clemente, 34, a Brazilian citizen, said, “This is my second time in Nepal. I was here back in 2013, for a trek to Annapurna Base Camp.”
“If I compare Nepal today and seven years ago, there are a lot of differences,” said Clemente. “Availability of information to tourists is one of the major changes that I have witnessed over the years.”
Back in 2013, shortfall of information was a problem for tourists travelling to Nepal. Tourists like me would not know the market value of food and other goods of their basic needs, he added.
Clemente said that previously travel agencies were the only medium to get information about Nepal.
“The tourist police app has undoubtedly helped me in taking safety measures and being informed about the happenings of the places that I am visiting,” said the Brazilian tourist.