Koshi Tourism Year 2082 announced

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Sept. 28: Acting Prime Minister Prakash Man Singh said that the contribution of the tourism sector to Nepal’s economy is crucial. 

Speaking at an event organised by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation on the occasion of the 45th World Tourism Day (WTD), he praised the tourism sector's contribution to the country’s economy. “The tourism sector has made a significant contribution to Nepal’s economy. We need to explore how we can further enhance this sector's contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” said Singh. 

The government would facilitate necessary measures to increase contributions from the tourism sector in the future, said Singh.

“The government will identify the challenges faced by the tourism sector and will work to eliminate them, creating a conducive environment for businesses to operate smoothly,” he added.

He also said that Nepal has become an attractive destination for adventure tourism, trekking, mountaineering and skydiving, and encouraged focus on improving these aspects.

Similarly, our Biratnagar correspondent said that the Koshi province government has declared the upcoming year (2082 BS) as Koshi Tourism Year.

Organising a programme in Biratnagar on the occasion of World Tourism Day, to promote tourism in the province, the Koshi province government declared Koshi Tourism Year 2082.

Chief Minister of Koshi Province Hikmat Kumar Karki unveiled the list of 82 destinations for 2082 and said that the government would work for the planned development of these tourist destination centres. 

The Koshi province government is making preparations to celebrate Koshi Tourism Year with the slogan ' Delightful Koshi'. With the declaration of the programme, the Koshi Province government aims to promote tourist destinations so that more and more tourists visit the province. 

Koshi province government has allocated a budget of Rs. 100 million to make Koshi Tourism Year successful.

Meanwhile, our Lumbini Correspondent Kapil Gyawali reported that to mark World Tourism Day, Lumbini Province's Minister for Industry, Tourism, and Transport, Prachanda Bikram Neupane and Vice-Chairman of the Lumbini Development Trust, Dr. Lharkyal Lama (Khenpo Chime), welcomed tourists by offering them traditional khada (shawl) and Nepali Dhaka topi (hats). 

Japanese citizen Yuku Shan and Indian citizens Vidya Bagdi and Sunil Bagdi were among the welcomed tourists in Lumbini.

Addressing the event, Lumbini Province's Minister for Tourism, Prachanda Bikram Neupane, said that Lumbini is the pride of the nation.

Similarly, Dr. Lharkyal Lama (Khenpo Chime), Vice-Chairman of the Lumbini Development Trust, stressed the need to create an environment that welcomes tourists throughout the year. 

He emphasised the importance of welcoming both local and international tourists and called for a united effort to promote Lumbini. He noted that Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, is a centre of faith not only for Nepal but for the global Buddhist community.

The Lumbini Hotel Association Nepal made arrangements for a one-day visit and stay at locations like Tilaurakot and Ramgram for the tourists who were welcomed in Lumbini, according to Chairman Govinda Gyawali.

As of August 2024, a total of 612,477 domestic and international tourists have visited Lumbini. Last year, around one million tourists visited Lumbini. Similarly, Thakur Prasad Acharya, our Myagdi correspondent reported that on the occasion of WTD, tourism activists and journalists who have contributed to the district's tourism sector were honoured. 

The Myagdi Tourism and Industry Office organised an event on Friday in Beni to honour tourism activist and entrepreneur Tej Bahadur Gurung, as well as journalists Ghanshyam Khadka and Santosh Gautam for their contribution to promoting tourist destinations.

Gandaki Province Assembly Member Bimala Gauchan, Chief of Myagdi District Coordination Committee Rajkumar Thapa and Chief of Myagdi Tourism and Industry Office Posh Nath Sharma honoured them with shawls and certificates.

Our Ilam correspondent Prem Adhikari reported that the popular tourist destination Kanyam in Ilam has been beautified on the occasion of WTD 2024.

Suryaodaya Municipality decorated Kanyam by placing flower pots along the roadsides to mark the day. The municipality cleaned the Kanyam area and planted marigolds, angelia, and dhupi (cedar) along the roadsides. 

Sixty-five flower pots were placed along the roads, according to Ishwari Adhikari, 

Head of the Forest, Environment, and Disaster Management Branch of Suryaodaya Municipality.

Kanyam is a popular destination for tourists who come to visit the tea gardens, go horseback riding, and enjoy picnics.

Since the beautification of Kanyam, the municipality has been generating more than Rs. 2.5 million annually.