Noble Proceedings to Give Nepal Tourism Year 2011 a Majestic Success

As the Nepal Tourism Year 2011 is approaching very close to us, a range of novel proceedings are happening day by day. Various tourism business oriented organizations and individuals are concentrating on how they could make the year successful and get full advantage of it.

Nepal Telecom Limited, the chief Tele-communicating organization of Nepal has included its name in the list of helping hands to the tourists to make the Nepal Tourism Year 2011 successful by announcing that it would provide a GSM prepaid mobile SIM-card instantly direct from the Airport to the tourists.

Via a press release, Nepal Telecom Limited claimed they are going to provide a GSM prepaid mobile SIM-Card to the tourists just because tourists are facing a lot of difficulties while communicating via PCOs, hotels, and local phones. To solve this problem, Nepal Telecom has planned to provide the prepaid SIM card directly from the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). Nepal Telecom has already discussed about it with the official member of TIA and has also started to offer the SIM-Card from a separate counter. Again, to make the process short and easy, no hassles are created in the process except providing the photo copy of their passports as proof to get the SIM card.

Beside this, Nepal Telecom is not only planning to offer the SIM card from the airport but also from other main entrances of the Nepal, such as Bhairawa, Birgunj, Biratnagar.

According to the Telecom, through this GSM prepaid mobile SIM facility to tourists, they will not have to face the problem of communicating to their country, friends, and inside Nepal. Although tourists can also call via their own country’s mobile, it is much more expensive for them due to roaming charge while the GSM prepaid mobile SIM card would only cost Rs. 1135 which also holds balance of Rs. 500. And this would be the cheap and best alternative for the tourists.
Nepal Telecom always takes great interest towards goodness of tourists. Some months ago, it had expanded its service to the Khumbu region, a popular trekking destination for tourist on their way to the top of the world, Mt. Everest; which has helped climbers attempting to reach the summit of Mount Everest to disseminate information about their success faster. The Everest region had very limited communication facilities until then. V-SAT station at Gorksep has been installed now which has allowed people to make calls from the summit of Mount Everest.
Sauraha Sees Rise in Number of Hotels
In Sauraha, openings of new hotels, lodges, guest houses and restaurants have taken express speed. After the announcement of the year 2011 as the tourism year, previously closed hotels and lodges are being reopened with the new concepts and vigor to magnetize more tourists to Sauraha. In comparison to condition some years’ before, due to long Maoist insurgency, tourists visit was much less and the effect was on several hotels and lodges that were condemned to shut down. Now with the end of Maoist insurgency and reestablishment of peace in the country, there has been reported high increment in the tourists visit to Nepal.
Sauraha, the third most admired tourist destination of Nepal is concentrating to the Tourism Year 2011. New hotels, lodges and restaurants are being launched daily. Again, Sauraha being the gateway to the oldest National Park of Nepal, the Chitwan National Park is obvious to make a good insight to make the 2011 year successful and take advantage of it as it hosts 80% of guests those visit Chitwan National Park. One’s visit to Nepal is judged as curtailed if he missed having jungle safari and elephant’s back ride at Chitwan National Park.
According to the census, there were only about 65 hotels and lodges altogether at Sauraha last year, but now the number has increased and reached about 85. The primary cause of this increasing numbers of hotels and lodges is the peaceful environment of the country created lately. Besides, state’s newly improved law and order has also helped on it. Hoteliers foresee more rises in number of hotels and lodges and they say it will cross 100 until next year if the trend continues. Besides, the hotels are also adding various facilities and trying to make their accommodation facilities competitive to attract tourists in Sauraha and make the Tourism Year 2011 a success from their side.
President of Regional Hotel Association Sauraha, Hari Bhakta Ghimire, said, “existing hotels in Sauraha are also adding rooms and facilities keeping in view the higher demands of accommodation during the year-long tourism campaign. Local hoteliers have targeted to bring in more than 300,000 tourists in Sauraha in 2011.”

Marpha Readying Itself for Nepal Tourism Year 2011

Though far fetched, locals of Mustang not unfamiliar of Nepal Tourism Year 2011 project and are gearing up to declare Marpha as a model tourism village, in the sunup of Nepal Tourism Year 2011.

Locals are busy in paving trails and cleaning the village as a part of preparation for the campaign. Villagers have also decided to prohibit disposal of garbage and polythene items recklessly and on trekking trails. Local hoteliers are also upgrading the facilities at their hotels, lodges and houses and are making proper arrangement for sanitation, water and disposal of garbage too.

People of Marpha have already decided to bring about uniformity in the color of their houses, hotels and lodges to indicate harmony for the promotion of tourism. “We are doing our best to decorate our villages and give maximum facility to visitors so that they extend their stays in the district and we have set a target of attracting all tourists to Marpha who visit Mustang,” said Anita Thakali, a local of Marpha VDC. Mustang is admired of its scenic mountain views and Annapurna Circuit trekking.