Visit Nepal Year 2020 kicked off and well underway, but majority of us are skeptical about the country�s goal of reaching 2 million tourists. Even the ministers, government official, trade associations� leaders including industry leaders have already started talking that�Visit Nepal 2020 is not about reaching the target of bringing 2 million tourists only, but it is about giving a direction and momentum to the growth of Nepali Tourism industry. The tourism minister, Mr. Yogesh Bhattarai has been talking about promoting Nepal as a destination throughout the coming up decade starting from year 2020, though any concrete plan has not been rolled out yet. Still, the expectation of general public and trade people in achieving the stated goal of reaching to 2 million tourist arrival as announced by government cannot be undermined by simply advocating about tourism promotion for whole coming up decade. The collective effort of ministry, concerned departments, tourism trade sector and professional involved is what required for making the announced Visit Nepal 2020 a success. But, many still don�t know what the country is doing and how it�s preparing. These concerns are quite understandable as not much information regarding the plans and means to progress as the year goes by has been disclosed to the public. We have seen many advertisements and videos making their rounds announcing and promoting Visit Nepal Year 2020, but what kind of feedback these have generated are yet to be seen. For years now, Nepal has been branded and marketed as a destination majorly for the Himalayas, religious and historic sites. Mt. Everest and the birthplace of Buddha are all terms used and the rest of the world is well aware of it. While we do boast a significant number of the highest peaks in the world and a cultural heritage that is second to none, Nepal needs to break out of its bubble to truly attract guests in 2020 and beyond. Our focus should not only be on these two areas but need to capitalize on the diverse cuisines, adventure, wildlife and of course the warmth of the people by including all possible activities, festivities, in every tourist destination to lengthen the stay of every traveler.

Nepal Tourism Board has been and will be the center of focus for

[caption id="attachment_4536" align="alignright" width="237"] Deepak Raj Joshi
Former CEO
Nepal Tourism Board[/caption]

promotion of all tourism activities during much of the period during Visit Nepal Year 2020. How do you take the development in regard of VNY 2020? We are focusing on four segments. One is the international segment where we are focusing on trade and consumers. We are identifying new markets while also positioning new masses. People generally associate Nepal with mountains and adventure based activities but our strength also lies in wildlife, culture mad heritage as well. We are trying to repositions ourselves through these aspects and provide a lifetime experience. Domestic tourism is also in our agenda. Various packages and offers from hotels, lodges, and homestays have already been put forward by them. The most difficult challenge we are currently facing is the infrastructure which are roads and aviation. We lack connectivity and without infrastructure we cannot increase connectivity. For this, new airport in Lumbini will begin operations in the first quarter of 2020 and in 2021, the Pokhara airport will be complete.

The NTB has been active in promoting the campaign around the world; how is global response? Can you name some major activities.. Feedback has been very positive. Many people want to visit the country but the infrastructure is a roadblock for them which is stopping them from coming here. But, our campaigns have generated a very positive response nonetheless.

What kind of events can we expect to see throughout the year to keep the tourists interested in coming back? We are collaborating with various companies. There is a fashion show happening in Everest, a formula one type racing in 2021, ice-hockey in the Gokyo lake as well. There are plenty of events that will be taking place throughout the year and in the future too, there are many things planned.

�Coming to Nepal is coming to an experience that is only yours. From the remotest corners to the urban landscape, Nepal embodies a sensory experience of colors, sounds, sights and tastes. Visit Nepal welcomes you to life�s amazing moments,� according to the Visit Nepal 2020 website. This statement alone shows promise that the country is trying to move away from the traditional mountains and historic sites. Year 2018 / 19 saw some movement and talks about promoting Nepal as a gastronomic destination. While the concept certainly looked promising, the move didn�t gather much pace and as VNY 2020 took pace, the talk about gastronomic tourism has almost disappeared. Its ideas like these that the country should really be marketing to take our tourism to the next level. Over the last couple of years, Nepal has done outstanding works in wildlife conservation and repopulation, be it Rhinoceros or Bengal Tiger or conservation of Gharial Crocs, we have achieved remarkable progress, similarly the concept of community forest conservation, concept of community stay and home stays could also be used to attract special interest tourists. There is huge possibility of bringing more travelers by offering Nepal as transition study, peace process study, culture study centers. While talking about promoting Nepal as the home of the Himalayas, the big task to improve on is the proper roadways and obviously lack of alternative international airports in the country. But, We are expecting Gautam Buddha International Airport to be completed by July 2020 and come into operation, but we cannot be assured on full and successful operation. The roads connecting tourist destinations and road and traffic condition in the capital city are another issue that has been plaguing the country for a long time. Moreover, some roads connecting rural areas of major trekking destination have already destroyed the trekking as product so, governments of all levels have to have proper planning and coordination to support tourism rather than destroying the product.

Much of the responsibility in ensuring VNY 2020 is a success falls on your shoulders; can you elaborate on the campaigns your team has launched to make the year a success?

[caption id="attachment_4533" align="alignright" width="229"] Rajan Poudel
Under Secretary
VNY 2020 Secretariat[/caption]

At the moment we are doing major works which are promoting the campaign and since the target is 2 million tourists, we are promoting the campaign in other countries as well like Thailand, UK and more recently Oman. We have partnered with the NRNA for promoting the campaign in foreign countries.

Many remote places around the country have a very high potential for tourism; will the VNY 2020 campaign focus to develop and promote those areas? Tourism sector takes a collective effort. Developing infrastructure in rural areas cannot be done by a single sector. But, the campaign will aim to develop rural areas and promote these lands as well. Once hotels and lodges develop in these areas we can expect to see major tourist influx in remote areas. For the same reason, the government is also promoting various remote sectors around the country.

Nepal has never welcomed 2 million tourists in a single year before. If we do welcome 2 million tourists, are we able to serve, sustain and provide a mean to return back in the future in the condition of poor infrastructure in terms of connectivity?

We have many big hotels coming up in Nepal. Many tourists stay in these hotels but we are also promoting various homestays around the country so tourists stay there. If we achieve our goal of 2 million tourists, that will create a ripple effect among other tourists as well. Developing the entire infrastructure first and expecting the tourists later is not a good move. As tourists enter the country, the infrastructure will keep developing likewise. Both go hand-in-hand.

There are also developments in various roads and airports around the country. The infrastructure will not remain as it is forever and will certainly keep improving

How do you think VNY 2020 will impact the economy of Nepal? The VNY will not impact the economy directly as of now. Our goal is to contribute at least 10 percent towards the GDP. But this campaign is not solely related to generate money for the country. We want to show the world what Nepal has to offer. Our target is 2 million tourists but we need to focus on the quality of service we provide to all the tourists coming into Nepal.

�Integrate conservation, green initiatives and socio economic development with minimal impact on environment while offering lifetime tourism experiences�, as per their website. The goals set by the Visit Nepal campaign are things to be proud of. Protecting the climate by minimizing the carbon footprint of the country while also promoting rural areas that really are in dire need of support are goals that are realistic and highly attainable. Adopting a greener initiative and promoting community based tourism are things that the visit Nepal campaign says it�s committed to. Apart from the two, the campaign is also focused on minimizing the impact on climate change. [caption id="attachment_4534" align="alignright" width="300"] Inspector Amrit Bahadur Basnet
Tourist Police[/caption]

What are the basic areas in which Tourist police has been engaging in recent years? Tourist police is a dedicated unit of Nepal police assigned for tourism security, basically, its primary function is to facilitate tourist visiting Nepal if they need any assistance.

How has the Tourist Police Unit prepared itself to serve the tourist better in VNY 2020? Since safety will be a big concern for tourists visiting Nepal, what would be your message to them? Regarding the preparedness for VNY tourist police, Nepal is well prepared to provide security in coordination with local police as well as other government stake holders. So our message to all tourists is; Nepal is a safe place to visit and tourist police Nepal will be assisting you no matter the time and place.

As we all are aware that tourists are often charged more than the normal fare by taxis, how are you prepared to tackle this issue in Visit Nepal Year 2020? We are aware about the unpredicted taxi drivers so we have already conducted orientation classes to most of the taxi drivers. We have also strictly informed their umbrella organization and we will also take necessary actions if the taxi drivers are found overcharging tourists.

Are there any ways for tourists to get touch with tourist police besides visiting the tourist police post? Yes tourist easily can reach the tourist police via our mobile application i.e. Tourist Police Nepal . We can also be contacted through our hotline number 1144 and can also email us at [email protected]

But in all fairness, we really need to give credit where credit is due. If the initiative is successful, the country stands to gain immensely moving forward. We are very quick to criticize programs undertaken by the government but also need to praise when things are done right. While many aspects of Visit Nepal 2020 do need improvement, many goals listed by the campaign are very positive. As stated earlier, even if the year doesn�t meet its target of 2 million tourists, the country should not be afraid to venture into campaigns like these in the future. Since our economy is highly dependent on tourists, running tourism campaigns in the future should be a priority for the country and its decision makers. If the target isn�t met, it should be looked at a learning process rather than a failure. We need to analyze those mistakes and improve on it to ensure that more people keep coming to our country in the future. Regardless of how successful the VNY year 2020 will be or not, it should serve as a benchmark for future projects like these. According to statistics from the Tourism Ministry for 2018, it was found that the average stay of tourists was gradually decreasing over the years. This should also serve as a warning for our country as we need to look at the quality of services we provide than simply looking at the number of people entering our borders. The potential for tourism in Nepal has no limits. We have the foundations needed to build on each aspect of tourism. Our only problem is that we market things that people have been hearing and seeing since the onset of Nepali tourism. Once we go past our comfort zones and invest in new areas, Nepal will see limitless opportunities and tourism industry contribute even more towards the country�s economy.