Regardless of India being Nepal’s greatest tourism supply market, there’s little consciousness amongst Indian outbound travellers about Nepal’s immense product variety past the well-known Pashupatinath Temple or climbing and trekking, feels Dr. Dhanajay Regmi, CEO, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). In India to attend his first worldwide journey exhibition, SATTE 2021, since taking on the reign of NTB final yr, Regmi and his group is keenly partaking the Indian commerce with the message that “Nepal is far more than religious tourism and the mountains.” NTB is the nationwide tourism group mandated to develop and market Nepal as a gorgeous tourism vacation spot.
“We undertook huge preparation, together with new product growth, in direction of publicizing and advertising Nepal for the ‘Go to Nepal 12 months 2020’ that was introduced a lot earlier than the pandemic struck. Specializing in that plenty of new tourism actions and new tourism merchandise had been launched, however earlier than we may promote about these or inform the world concerning the new developments, the entire world was closed because of the pandemic. We have now been searching for alternative to speak concerning the new developments. SATTE was the primary alternative that we bought because the lockdown,” he mentioned.
“Immediately, we now have many of the prime worldwide resort chains. We have now the very best of golf equipment and a really vibrant evening life in Nepal. Persons are even chartering flights to get pleasure from their weekend and holidays in Nepal. We have now provide you with many great resorts alongside the Indo-Nepal border the place one can do many of the river actions, benefit from the casinos and these resorts are far more than five-star properties. Individuals don’t know that the tiger inhabitants has doubled in Nepal within the final 5 years. So any nationwide parks that you simply go to in Nepal, the probabilities of sighting the tiger is sort of 100 per cent. These are however a number of the issues that the world doesn’t find out about Nepal. Particularly within the Indian market, individuals assume that Nepal means Pashupatinath and are solely going for religious, non secular and pilgrimage causes and never for different causes. This is the reason we’re saying Nepal is far more,” Regmi added.
Drawing consideration to the benefit of accessibility and journey, particularly for the Indian travellers, Regmi mentioned that almost all of Indian travellers whereas planning their go to to Nepal solely know of air entry through Kathmandu which isn’t true. “Nepal is related to India from seven customized factors and in the event you embody the worldwide airport then there are eight locations from the place Indian travellers can enter into Nepal,” knowledgeable the CEO.
“There may be enormous alternative in selling border tourism. Indians residing within the Gangetic plain alongside the Indo-Nepal border, might be within the hill stations of Nepal at an altitude of 800 meters and above in only one or two hours’ drive. Even for individuals from Delhi and NCR individuals do not need to solely fly in an effort to journey to Nepal. As a substitute individuals can attain Western Nepal by street in simply three and half hour drive. From there on, one can drive by way of scenic panorama, forests and hills, stopover wherever they need en path to Kathmandu whereas additionally visiting Nationwide Parks alongside the best way, birthplace of Lord Buddha, non secular locations like Swargadwari, whereas additionally relishing Nepal’s cultural variety alongside the best way,” he additional added.
Commenting on Nepal’s participation at SATTE 2021, Regmi mentioned, “Nepal has taken it as an enormous alternative as a result of just a few international locations have participated at SATTE this yr due to the pandemic. So that is the time we will simply and successfully talk with the Indian commerce, inform them that Nepal is open, inform them about our merchandise and sights and simple accessibility, not solely by air but in addition by street. Out of these few international locations that are open to Indian vacationers, Nepal is one in every of them. However this message sadly just isn’t there out there. Indian travellers can go to Nepal to get pleasure from nice nature, evening life, casinos, water based mostly actions, journey actions.”
Regmi additionally knowledgeable that however all of the confusion surrounding worldwide journey, Nepal proceed to be simply accessible for Indian vacationers. “We have now vastly simplified it for Indian guests to return to Nepal. One has to only include a RT-PCR report and there’s no want for an additional RT-PCR upon arrival. Below the air bubble settlement, you’ll be able to merely fly into Nepal with a unfavorable report and there’s no quarantine upon arrival additionally. It’s all so secure as our service suppliers are effectively outfitted with all of the pandemic associated security protocols.”