National Tourism Promotion Committee forms executive body to execute recovery efforts
Kathmandu, July 6: The National Tourism Promotion Committee has constituted an
executive committee to execute its works
in a smooth and effective way. In the first meeting of the Committee held on Sunday, it was decided to form the
committee. As per the decision of the
Council of Ministers on June 16, the Committee
was formed under the chair of Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil
Aviation Kripasur Sherpa to carry out efforts for the rebuilding and promotion
of the tourism sector in the aftermath of the recent powerful earthquake.
Noted tourism
entrepreneur Yogendra Shakya is the
coordinator of the executive committee while Lakpa Sonam Sherma is
joint-coordinator.Besides, the
meeting agreed to take ownership of the Pokhara declaration-2072 BS issued by the Parliament Development
Committee and a report published by the Pacific Asia Travel Association ( PATA)
for rebuilding country's tourism and make initiatives for their enforcement
soon. The Committee is
to install weather forecast equipments in base camps of major peaks of the
country for the conveniences of tourists.
The meeting
agreed to request international community
to give priority to Nepal while choosing
venues for international-level events
like meetings, assemblies, conferences, exhibitions and fairs as this
helps rebuild the country's tourism
sector affected by the devastating earthquake.
As per the meeting
decision, the government will be requested to exempt the provision of value
added tax (VAT) on air fuel to relatively decrease aviation fee, which is
expected to encourage tourists to visit Nepal.
Besides, it has recommended the government to free tourism industries
from the imposition of income tax for at least a year, to provide concessions
on the interest of bank loans taken by the earthquake-hit tourism industries
with extended deadline for loan recovery by a year.