Minister for Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation Jeevan Ram Shrestha shared that the incumbent government had introduced the ‘Tourism Decade 2023-2032’ for the development of sustainable tourism.
At an interaction with the stakeholders here on Sunday held in coordination with the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), Minister Shrestha said that this concept was taken forward to revive the COVID-19 battered tourism in the country.
Stating that tourism was one of the mainstays of the national economy, Shrestha pledged facilitation and reforms at the policy level for the development and promotion of the tourism sector.
Similarly, Tourism Secretary Suresh Adhikari informed the concept paper of the Tourism Decade and said that the concept was put in place to earn foreign currencies in a long run. The government aims to attract as many as 3.5 million foreign tourists to Nepal by 2032, according to Adhikari.
Likewise, NTB CEO Dr. Dhananjay Regmi viewed that Nepal would reap a lot of benefits from tourism if there was proper coordination among concerned ones. Former State Minister for Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation Yankila Sherpa urged the government to accord high priority to coordination and collaboration with the private sector in implementing tourism promotion-related programs.
HAAN President Shreejan Rana recommended the government introduce action plans so as to bring in as many foreign tourists to Nepal within 2023-2032.