TOURISM POLICY

Tourism Policy

The government has following tourism policy in the current Ninth plan:
 Development and expansion of tourism spots:
1. The addition tourism destinations will be developed on the basis of the feasibility study.
2. The buildings and the temples of historical, religious and culture importance of the country will be registered as national resource and will be brought to tourist used by preserving and maintaining them.
3. The record of the lakes, cave, waterfalls, and forts of the kingdom will be prepared and will be gradually developed as tourist spot.
4. The original culture, traditional hospitality and the ethnic way of living will be preserved and will be presented as tourist attraction.
5. The new trekking routes and peaks will be opened in a planned manner.
6. The local body will be encouraged to develop model rural tourism spot.
7. In Katmandu valley, festival tourism will be encouraged by searching its culture resource, festivals and culture and religious customs.
8. The pollution free rafting will be extended in the feasibility parts of the major rivers of the country.

 Development of tourism infrastructure:
1. The local people will be encouraged to develop minimum facilities in the tourist spots.
2. The communication system will be made easily available and modern in the spots having frequent tourist visit.
3. In the construction, preservation and running of physical infrastructure private sector and local organizations and non-governmental organizations will be mobilized along with the government investment.
4. The environment-friendly transport service will be encouraged in the tourist spots.

 Expansion and diversification of tourist attraction:
1. Emphasis will be given on the production and use of the goods produced in the country and materials like handicrafts for tourist consumption.
2. the private sector will be encouraged to conduct tourist programmes such as hot air ballooning, hot spring, honey hunting, butterfly and bird watching, anthropological tours, rhododendron observation of the customs on the verge of extinction.
3. The new tourist attracting such as eco-tourism, medical tourism, convention and conference tourism, cultural, festival tourism, scientific tourism, village tourism, adventure tourism, holiday tourism, endemic tourism ad value base tourism will be promoted.
4. The package tour will be arranged as special activity to show the tourists the religious and cultural festivals of various ethnic groups.
5. Encouragement will be given to conduct water travel activities by making the rivers pollutions free.

 Promotion and expansion of tourism market:
1. The market will be promoted by making publicity also in association of the private sector of the countries of Europe, North America, Asia and pacific by specifying the market area on the basis of the analytical study of the international tourism market. Similarly, the tourism industry will be made self-sustained by attracting internal and Indian tourists.
2. The internal tourism will be promoted to maintain economic and social balance between different development regions.
3. The private sector will be encouraged to play leading role in tourism and market promotion.
4. The publicity in North American and West European market will be extended and the publicity in the new markets of Asia-pacific region will be extended.
5. In order to make promotion in planned way tourism will be promoted in view of the interest of the target group on the basis of appropriate market segmentation.
6. The diplomatic missions in foreign countries, honorary consuls, and friendship associations, office of the airlines, agents and the associations of Nepalese people will be made active in promotion of the tourism market.
7. The electronic information media such as home page, Internet, e-mail will also be used in market promotion.
8. The distribution of publicity materials will be made more effective in market promotion.
9. The foreign journalists, tour writers, television programme group will be invited to Nepal and make them publicity about Nepal.
10. International Airport will be developed as safe and well-equipped international airport. The regional and internal airports will be extended.

 Environment protection:
1. The local bodies and the private bodies will be coordinated in preserving sound environment for tourism spots.
2. Effort will be made to make the local bodies more active in keeping tourists spots clean and beautiful.
3. The local bodies and the private sector will be made active in building standard pay rest houses in he tourist spots.

 Mobilisation of private sector:
1. In order to attract private sector investment in tourism industry, production, service and activity additional facilities will be provided on for the extension of new area and service. Similarly, various facilities will be made available to the private sector to increase investment in tourist activities.
2. The participation of local bodies, municipalities, village development committees and non-government of different religious, cultural, and historical resources of the valley and outside.
3. To attract private sector investment for the development of tourism in new areas of the kingdom and for increasing additional facilities loan facility will be made available in new areas.
4. An arrangement will be made to allow spending up to certain percentage of the foreign exchange earned from tourism business in own business.
5. The investment will be mobilized by recognizing tourism industry as a priority sector.