Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has permitted Buddha Air – one of the leading domestic airlines – and Air Dynamic to operate international flights. The ministry took the decision after evaluating proposals of four airlines that had shown interests to launch international flights.

Buddha Air has been permitted to use Class 'C' airspace while Air Dynamic has received the ministry's nod to use Class 'B' airspace.

The ministry has fixed class A, B and C airspace for airlines willing to operate international flights. Class 'A' airspace is for long-haul routes, 'B' for medium routes and 'C' for short routes, according to ministry sources.

Buddha Air has been permitted to fly on the Pokhara-Lucknow, Janakpur-Patna and Kathmandu-Paro (Bhutan) sectors. The airline has a fleet of five Beechcraft-1900Ds and two ATR-42. The airline plans to operate ATR-42 aircraft on international flights.

Air Dynamic is planning to fly on Bhairahawa-Gaya, Kathmandu-Delhi, Karachi, Doha, Banaglore, Bagdogra and Kuala Lumpur. It plans to bring in two Boeing 737-800s and a ATR-72 aircraft.

The airlines need to obtain airlines operating certificate (AOC) within six months and launch flights within a year, according to officials.

Source TAAN e-news 31/3/010 http://www.taan.org.np

Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) and representatives of different workers unions signed a 16-point agreement letter on May 28 to address the demands raised by the workers. With the signing of the agreement, the workers unions have called of all their protest programs.

As per the agreement, TAAN has agreed to provide appointment letters to workers working with its member agencies as per the previous agreement reached with All Nepal Tourism Workers' Association. Both the sides have also agreed to implement different insurance policies-- search and rescue insurance, medical insurance of Rs 250,000 and group accident insurance of a maximum of Rs 500,000 -- for the workers from the amount that TAAN will receive through the implementation of TIMS. They have also agreed to setup a workers' welfare fund to ensure social security for the workers. The fund will come into implementation once the terms of reference (ToR) is finalized by the ministry.

The two sides have also agreed to establish a clothing bank for trekking staffs at Lukla, Solukhumbu. Initially, the bank will have at least 1,000 sets of clothing for the workers. As per the agreement, buildings for the accommodation of trekking workers will be constructed on popular trekking routes on need basis.

TAAN has also agreed to raise daily wage of workers by an additional Rs 100 per day on the wage structure agreed by the joint meeting on October 11, 2009.

 Source TAAN e-news 31/3/010 http://www.taan.org.np

Dear Friends & Partners,

May The Christmas & New Year's find you seated around a colorful table, together with your beloved family and cherished friends.

New Start…New Beginnings…New Dreams to Fulfill
 Wish you all have
Blessed Christmas & Happy New Year 2010!

GURKHA ENCOUNTERS FAMILY

The Government of Nepal is planning to set up five new cable cars for the promotion of Nepalese tourism encouraging tourists to stay for longer period in the periphery of the Kathmandu valley.

The five projects are: Pani Muhan to Shivapuri Lekh (3.42 km), Godavari to Fulchowki Peak (4.7 km), Tribhuvan Park to Chandragiri (3.2 km), Dhunche to Gosaikunda (about 9 km) in Rasuwa district and Deurali Suspa to Kalinchowk (4.53 km) in Dolakha district.

The Ministry for Tourism and Civil Aviation recently conducted a feasibility study of the five projects and working on them.

"One of the most amazing things of the Kathmandu Valley is the excellent view of the valley from all the hilltops," told Ravi Shah, Project Manager at the Tourism Infrastructure Development Project at the Ministry talking to The Rising Nepal.

He said that if one was there atop the hills, he/she could enjoy the beauty of the valley as well as the mountains, Himalayas of the north to the plains of the south.

He said that though there were lots of sights seeing inside the Kathmandu Valley, they were not enough to lure the tourists. "The new destinations will help extend their stay, at least for one day," he said.

Shah told that the government was planning to carry out these projects as per the Public-Private Partnership model. "Many private companies are willing to invest on these projects. We will finalise the report and start the projects as per BOOT model," he said.

The government is working on the projects and probably it will finalise its final report within a week.

"We are hopeful to launch, at least, one of the projects this year," he said.

Tourism is big business in Nepal. Local people can benefit and develop their lives out of poverty with tourism.
 
 Source www.gorkhapatra.org.np by staff reporter Sept. 13, 2009

KATHMANDU: The Indra Jatra festival, which falls on September 3 this year, is held in honour of Lord Indra, the god of rain and the king of heaven. The festival is celebrated for eight days starting from duadashi during which chariot processions, various masked dances and feasts are held.

According to cultural expert Satya Mohan Joshi there are various legends as to why this festival is held. “During Vedic age there was a battle between the gods and the demons, Lord Indra with the support of Lord Narayan defeated the demons, and to celebrate this victory the festival was held, the flags that are put up, signify this victory,” said Joshi. There is another popular mythical story related to this, “Lord Indra’s mother needed Parijat flowers so Lord Indra came to Kathmandu Valley to get them, but denizens of the valley thought he had come to steal those flowers and so captured him. Later when they realised their mistake to ask for forgiveness the festival was organised in honour of Lord Indra.”

The setting up of the lingum or a long wooden pole at Hanuman Dhoka marks the beginning of this festival, which was held on September 1.  Chariot procession of living goddess Kumari, incarnation of goddess Taleju, along with Ganesh and Bhairab is taken out  on the third day (September 3). These processions are held for three days. According to Joshi it was during the time of king Jaya Prakash Malla that this tradition began.

There are various other interesting events that take place during the eight days like images of Lord Indra put up around various places in the valley and animal sacrifices are made, the Seto Bhairab and Akash Bhairab are especially displayed during these days.

The lakhe dance, dasha avatars or the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu being showcased in the evenings in front of Kumari ghar, the masked dances held mainly at Hanuman Dhoka and surrounding areas are other activities marking this festival.

The festival ends with  the  lowering of the lingum which is taken to a river, on the eighth day .

Source www.thehimalayantimes.com September 03, 2009

The number of foreign tourists who visited Nepal last month increased by 5 per cent to 27,676, compared to the corresponding month last year, according to figures released by the Immigration Office, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), Tuesday.

During the month, arrivals from China saw a whooping growth of 87 per cent. Similarly, arrivals from Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand also increased by 27 per cent, 44 per cent, 21 per cent and 9 per cent respectively.

But the number of tourists from Malaysia and China’s Taipei decreased by 13 per cent and 21per cent. However, in aggregate, the Asian segment registered a positive growth of 26 per cent.

Among the countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), arrivals from Bangladesh and Pakistan saw a growth of 23 per cent and 22 per cent respectively. But arrivals from India decreased by 10 per cent as compared to the same month last year. The number of tourists from Sri Lanka also declined by 1 per cent.

Arrivals from the European countries increased by 11 per cent. The number of tourists from France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain and Denmark went up by 9 per cent, 34 per cent, 20 per cent, 9 per cent and 50 per cent respectively. However, arrivals from the UK decreased by 24 per cent, according to Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).

Tourist arrivals from New Zealand and Canada also recorded a growth of 22 per cent and 88 per cent respectively. Arrivals from the United States of America remained stable, while the Australian market declined by 4 per cent as compared to the same month last year.

August was the third consecutive month that Nepal has witnessed growth in international tourist arrivals.

A total of 33,685 foreign tourists departed from TIA last month, up by 20 per cent compared to the same month last year. The number of Nepalese arrivals stood at 46,852 while 51,653 Nepalese departed from TIA during the same month.

Source www.egorkhapatra.com 02 September 2009 ( By staff reporter)

Nestled on the lap of Mt. Mansalu range in the East, Lamjung Himal and Annapurna II in the North and Mt. Machhapuchhre in the West, ‘Ghale Gaon’ is positioned at an altitude of 2070m from where the horizon changes into spectacular hues of peach, pink and orange during dawn and dusk.

The village with its terraced farmlands and bird’s-eye-view of the closely packed Gurung (Ghale) settlements has earned repute for its neat home-stays for tourists willing to experience traditional Nepali culture and hospitality.

Locally called Koiule Nasa, Ghale Gaon lies in ‘Off the Trek’ route of Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP). It was recognised all over Nepal and abroad only after it was marketed as a village for ‘home-stay’ tourism over a decade back. Today, we can find many internal and external holidaymakers visiting it to savour the tang of natural aura and its unique cultural traits.

Both ACAP and the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) deserve kudos for its role in promoting village tourism in the area by highlighting its lifestyle, biodiversity, and culture to support the rural economy.

"Most of the youths have migrated abroad or to cities leaving only the elderly behind in villages where agriculture is the only source of income. However, when the then chairperson of Lamjung District Development Committee, Jabindra Man Ghale, took a few of us to Sirubari--the first village to offer ‘home-stay’ tourism--we learnt how the village was earning a living for all its residents through tourism, so after learning every aspect needed to promote specific tourism activity, we started to promote our area as a tourism destination in 2056 B.S," recalled Lila Bahadur Ghale, the vice president of Ghale Gaon Gramin Tourism Development Committee. The township has now turned into an exclusive tourism borough.

According to Tourist Check-Post and Information Centre helper Dhan Prasad Gurung, over 1,500 internal and over 200 external tourists visit the destination annually. In addition, as it lies in the famous Annapurna trekking route, a foreigner has to get the passes worth Rs. 2,000 first either from Kathmandu or Pokhara to enter the village, and if one does not do so then he/she has to pay double the amount to get a pass in the tourist check-post there.

A closely packed settlement of 115 solar lit houses (mostly two storied-- the upper floor used for granary and ground floor for kitchen and family living)--thirty-six houses with toilets and bathroom facilities are now offering the ‘home-stay’ for two guests each at once. When a visitor enters the village, the mothers’ group welcome them by putting them ‘tika’ and garland so that the new comers feel homely environment, and as they enter, they are served with local products like bhuteko makai (popcorn), Dhindo (hot porridge), roasted soya beans, gundruk (fermented greens) and chicken among others.

"We welcome our guests according to our culture, and people visiting here just love it," said Krishna Maya Ghale, one of the members of the mothers’ group. "The menu price of food and lodging is fixed by the committee so the profit is equally shared, we charge for every activity that we do to entertain our visitors."

For the guests, the village has also maintained a cultural museum, which has a collection of various artifacts, agricultural tools, dresses and ornaments so that the vacationers could know their culture, people and their livelihood pattern in an easy way. Apart from this, they have also prepared a hall, where they display cultural dances like Ghat, Krishna Charitra and Sorathi.

To ensure that no one is excluded and the earning is equally shared, the tourism committee has maintained a directive that says if one keeps a visitor today then he/she can’t keep the visitors the next day, and for those who cannot offer lodging, the households sell local products like food, meat and handicrafts (Doko, Namlo, Thunsi, Bhakari, Dalo, Ghum, Radi, Pakhi, Bakhkhhu, Chakati). The committee also charges 5 per cent of their income so that it can use it for community development later.

Lying just west of Kathmandu and east of Pokhara, it is a day trip from Besisahar, Lamjung, but now as transportation services have started, the visit has become easier. Now one can reach there in over two hours of jeep ride.

A Japanese visitor Ikuyo Nakazawa, who was enjoying sunrise and the breathtaking environment, said that the hospitality, environment, people, and culture attracted her there. "This is my 13th visit to Nepal and here (Ghale Gaon), the natural beauty, environment and hospitality are superb so I feel that its elegance with a traditional touch should be maintained forever. Though development is of utmost necessity, the virginity of this place should not be overshadowed by modernization," she said while relishing herself in the pleasant milieu.

Adding to what she had said, her friend Toshiko Kobari said, "When we entered the village from the stone-paved paths, we saw garbage littered around though there were dust bins. Therefore, I deem that to maintain exquisiteness here garbage management should be highly prioritized."

Talking about the development of the village, Khadga Dan Gurung, president of the tourism development committee, informed that ACAP has helped them a lot. "From tailoring, adult literacy to cooking training and making the paths, ACAP has always lent us support. In 2054 B.S, they also taught us how to plant tea giving us 5,500 plants and now we do not have to purchase tea from the market," he said.

When asked if sex-trade was practiced to boost tourism there; he denied it. "It is just an idle talk, nothing such happens here."

Despite the fact that home-stay tourism has helped in creating economically independent communities by boosting small and cottage industries, and preserving their culture, some of the internal tourists nitpicked that Ghale Gaon is becoming just too commercial and the services provided there are not worth the price.

Although the village is being developed day-by-day, telephones, computers, police stations, health post (which is half an hour away) and electricity are still a-far-cry. Recently, the electricity poles and lines have been put in place but the service has not started yet.

Apart from these, with the development, the traditional round houses (typically known as Gol Ghar) with thatched pine wood roofs have been replaced by normal houses with corrugated zinc sheets. Only two round houses are in place. The villagers said that those houses were difficult to maintain.

Ghalegaun, today is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country but carelessness is seeping-in and the management needs to focus on ways of making the vicinity an ultimate home-stay location in the country. Take for example, ‘Ghale Gaon Festival’, which is being annually celebrated from the last six years, was criticized this year because for selling imported alcohols, lack of hospitality and many other aspects.

Source www.gorkhapatra.org.np artcle by Prasun Timilsina 25 Aug 2009

KATHMANDU: A committee formed under the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PPAC) on Saturday suggested the closure of hotels located inside the Chitwan National Park. A decision to this effect was taken today, following intense consultations with the hoteliers, local residents and the environmentalists in Chitwan.

Source www.thehimalayantimes.com 23 Aug 2009