TAAN promotes Nepal in Australia

A team of trekking entrepreneurs led by Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) participated in the Adventure Travel Expo held on March 9-10 in Sydney, Australia.

Being organized for the past 18 years, Adventure Travel Expo is one of Australia’s popular adventure travel shows.

TAAN Treasurer Anjan Thapa was the coordinator of the team. Similarly, TAAN Executive Member Gopal Babu Shrestha was the sub-coordinator. Thapa said the stalls of Nepali companies drew more than 1,000 visitors. Many Nepalis who are currently in Australia in course of their business or study also visited the fair.

“The visitors were keen to know about trekking, mountaineering and other adventure activities available in Nepal,” Thapa said, adding that local media gave good coverage to the event. “Local media also carried news reports about Nepal’s tourism products and its participation in the expo.” He further added that Australia, as a tourism market, holds great potential for Nepal.

“Australians know Nepal very well, we just need to promote our tourism products and services,” he added. TAAN has been participating in different international fairs in the past couple of years. Last year, it participated in travel shows in Seoul, South Korea and San Francisco, USA. It recently partnered with Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) to promote Nepal’s tourism products and services in South Africa.

Biggest Passover Festival in the world takes place in Kathmandu

The Jewish festival “Passover” was celebrated in Kathmandu with hundreds of Israelis and Jews traveling to Nepal from around the world.

A special function was held by the Embassy of Israel in Kathmandu for all the Jews living in and traveling to Nepal on 25 March 2013 in Naya Bazar Multi Venue, Naya Bazaar, Kathmandu.

Over a thousand Israelis and Jews observed this festival only in Nepal making it the biggest Passover celebration in the world. Not only the Jews living in Nepal, but many Jews from other nations also visited Nepal for the festival, the Embassy said.

Pesach or Passover is the biggest and the most popular Jewish festival celebrated in and beyond Israel. Pesach begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month Nissan and is celebrated for 7 days. This year it will be celebrated from 26 March to 2 April 2013. The name Pesach is derived from the Hebrew word Pasach, which means “passed over”. The festival marks the beginning of spring and commemorates the Exodus from Egypt over 3000 years ago.

Nat’l carrier starts daily flights to Malaysia

The national flight carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has increased its flights from Kathmandu to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to seven days a week. The NAC used to operate flights for six days a week earlier.

Following the increase in the volume of passenger, the stat-owned airliner has increased the daily flights to Kuala Lumpur by one more day. The corporation has been operating with two Boeings 757 with the capacity of 190 seats to different international destinations.

Similarly, the corporation is also operating three flights to Hong Kong, two flights to Thailand and four flights to Qatar.

AirAsia X Celebrates Its 100th Flight To Nepal!

AirAsia X, the long-haul, low fare affiliate of the AirAsia Group today is offering promotional fares to celebrate its 100th flight to Kathmandu, Nepal today.

The inaugural flight which took off on 3 July 2012 with three flights weekly will see an increase in flight frequencies to four flights weekly effective 15 April 2013.

AirAsia X’s CEO, Azran Osman-Rani said, “We are thrilled to celebrate our 100th flight to Kathmandu, Nepal and delighted to see the encouraging demand of over 80% average passenger load since we began our flights to Nepal. We have seen strong feeder traffic between the two countries and this is a testament to our commitment in offering guests affordable fares to suit our guests travel needs and preferences. AirAsia X will continue to work closely with our travel and tourism partners in Nepal to enhance attractive packages for our guests to further explore Kathmandu’s heritage and natural attractions.”

Azran also added, “We believe that the additional flight frequencies will further solidify our position in our key markets and boost tourism potentials in the markets we fly to. We are confident that the travel demand to Kathmandu will continue to be strong and hope that many will take the opportunity to use AirAsia X as a gateway to the many exotic, far-flung destinations across the region.”

AirAsia X was the first long-haul, low fare carrier to introduce Premium Flatbed seats, which have standard business class specifications of 20” width, 60” pitch and stretch out to 77” in full recline position.

The Premium flatbeds feature universal power sockets, adjustable headrests and built-in personal utilities such as tray table, drink holder, reading light and privacy screen. Premium seat guests also enjoy premium complimentary products and services including Pick A Seat, Priority Check-in, Priority Boarding, Priority Baggage, 25kg Baggage Allowance, Complimentary Meal and Pillow & Duvet.

On top of that, AirAsia X recently introduced the “Quiet Zone” cabin on all its long-haul flights across China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Australia and Nepal. The new service enhancement is exclusively for guests who are above age 12. The “Quiet Zone” cabin features a new ambiance with soft lighting, offering a more relaxing cabin atmosphere, which will ensure a more pleasant journey for our guests.

In addition, AirAsia X has expanded their ancillary offerings to include the Red Carpet service, a special service for those seeking for a more personalised check in experience at the Kuala Lumpur Low Cost Carrier Terminal. The Red Carpet Service includes a dedicated check-in counter, priority baggage tagging and loading, access to the Plaza Premium lounge at LCCT, fast track immigration, security clearance and priority boarding with buggy service to the bay (subject to aircraft parking bay distance) which includes priority baggage delivery upon arrival.

Nepal participates in Moscow Int’l Travel Tourism Exhibition

Nepal participated at the Moscow International Travel Tourism Exhibition (MITT), the fifth largest exhibition in the world from March 20 to 23, 2013, realising the potential of the market with almost ten thousand Russians visiting Nepal every year.

Russian tour operators were informed and updated about Nepal's tourism and there were talks between the two sides on business tie-ups and contact renewals during the event, said Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) in a statement.

Detailed information of tour packages was provided to the visitors as well as to the buyers at MITT which showcased over 3,000 companies from 120 countries and regions.

Climber George Lowe who helped Tenzing-Hillary first Everest ascent is no more

George Lowe of New Zealand, the last surviving climber from the expedition led by Sir Edmund Hillary that conquered Mt Everest in 1953, has passed away at the of age of 89.

Lowe’s death in a nursing home in the British town of Ripley on Wednesday marked the end of an era in mountaineering, AFP quoted Hillary's son Peter as saying. “George was one of the great climbers on the 1953 Everest expedition,” he told Radio New Zealand, adding,“He was really one of my father’s closest friends, kept him laughing all the time. They had a long friendship and a tremendous mountaineering partnership.”

Hillary and Nepal's Tenzing Norgay had claimed atop the world's tallest peak on May 29, 1953 for the first time. New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key said Lowe was part of an expedition that was still a source of pride for the country.

“George Lowe, along with fellow Kiwi Sir Edmund Hillary, made New Zealand a household name when, along with the other members of the Everest expedition, (they) conquered the mountain in 1953,” AFP quoted Key as saying, “I was sad to hear of his death but remain very proud of these men’s achievements.”

Lowe had helped Hillary and Norgay prepare for the final push to the peak and photographed the expedition’s last stages, using the material in an Oscar-nominated documentary “The Conquest of Everest”.

Nepal participates Int’l Tourism Fair in Dhaka

Nepal participated in the 10th International Tourism Fair Dhaka Travel Mart (DTM) 2013, in Hotel Pan Pacific, Sonargaon, Dhaka from March 15 to 17.

Nepal Tourism Board, along with two potential Nepali private travel trade companies in the DTM 2013, organised by The Bangladesh Monitor and supported by United Airways, Biman Bangladesh and Eastern Bank Ltd.

Nepal's ambassador to Bangladesh Hari Kumar Shrestha was present on the formal inauguration of the fair.

DTM 2013 remained a potential platform for showcasing the tourism products and unique destinations as well as a forum for open B2B interaction amidst the exhibitors, buyers, sellers and the visiting public in Bangladesh, said NTB in a statement.

Apart from the host country Bangladesh, tour operators, airlines, hotels, resorts and other tourism service providers from the public and private sectors of Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Turkey participated in the fair.

'Garden of Dreams' makes it to Time magazine

International news magazine 'Time' has rated 'Garden of Dreams' located at Keshar Mahal, Kathmandu, as one of the favorite places to visit in 'Soul' section of its Travel Special.


In Time's March 25 issue, Karen Leigh writes, “If you find yourself in the frenetic Thamel tourist district of Kathmandu and overcome with a need for tranquility, leave the Nepalese capital’s snarling traffic and persistent hawkers behind you and make for this lush greensward across the street from the former Royal Palace.”

The report further mentions, "Designed in the 1920s as a private garden, its wide lawns, surrounded by bamboo, fountains and exotic tree, are the perfect place to revive after a grueling climbing(or shopping) adventure. Walk its immaculately kept perimeter paths before find a spot to lie on the grass and read a book, the sounds of the city drifting overhead.”

“Coverage of Garden of Dreams in Time magazine has put Nepal once again in the international tourism map, and image of Nepal as a happening destination has been redeemed,” says Aditya Baral, Director and spokesperson at Nepal Tourism Board.

Built by late Field Marshal Kaiser Sumsher Rana as his private garden representing six seasons, Garden of Dreams, a neo-classical historical garden was renovated and restored from 2000 to 2007, and opened for public in 2008.

Experts call for collaboration to tackle climate change impacts in Asian mountain nations

Experts from the different countries and institutions have stressed the need for collaboration to tackle the impacts of climate change on the Asian mountain countries.

Speaking at the concluding session of a three-day regional workshop on 'Climate Change Impacts in Asian Mountains' organised by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) at ICIMOD headquarters Lalitpur Friday, they said that with joint efforts are essential to reduce the impacts of climate change in these countries.

Director General of ICIMOD David Molden said all the stakeholders should work together in this area in mountain nations that are facing similar problems because of climate change.

Axel Plathe, dead of the UNESCO Office in Kathmandu said that heritage sites are also facing myriad problems in the mountain countries in Asia and that the stakeholders should work together to tackle them.

Experts from different countries also urged governments to ensure equitable sharing of ecosystem goods and services along the lines of international and regional processes and their implementation at local and national levels.

Experts form France, Ireland, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar,Kazakhstan, Tazikistan and Switzerland and international organisations - FAO,UNESCO,ICIMOD, IUCN,WWF,WORLD MOUNTAIN PEOPLE ASSIOCIATIONS - participated in the workshop.

According to the ICIMOD, about 200 million people are facing the adverse impacts of climate change in Asian mountain countries.

Radisson MD attacked in Kathmandu, escapes unscathed

Radisson Hotel Kathmandu Managing Directot BK Shrestha was attacked by masked persons in Ekantakuna, Lalitpur on Saturday night.

According to police, Shrestha has not sustained any injuries. However the window pane of Shrestha's car was shattered.

FNCCI has condemned the attack.and demanded that the government take serious measures to improve security of businessmen and entrepreneurs.

It has also demanded that the attackers be brought to book

Number of tourists up 6% in Feb

Tourist arrivals to Nepal via air increased by 6 percent in February compared to arrival figures of the same month last year.

According to figures released by Immigration Office at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), a total of 45,123 foreign tourists entered the country through aerial route. Arrivals from Asia (other than South Asia) recorded healthy growth of 46 percent, thanks to robust growth in arrivals from China (135 percent), Malaysia (288.1 percent) and Singapore (111.9 percent), respectively. However, arrivals from Japan, South Korea and Thailand have registered negative growth of 20.1 percent, 29.4 percent, and 0.3 percent respectively.

Arrivals from South Asia region declined by 15.2 percent despite growth in arrivals from Pakistan (44.3 percent) and Sri Lanka (35.3 percent). However, arrivals from India, which is the largest source market for Nepal, witnessed a drop of 18.2 percent. Visitor arrivals from Bangladesh also declined by 5.3 percent.

European markets registered negative growth of 5.5 percent with major destinations showing mixed reaction in terms of visitor arrivals. Arrivals from Germany and the Netherlands were up by 8.3 percent and 21  percent, respectively while arrivals from UK, France, Italy, Switzerland and Russia declined b 6 percent, 13.7 percent, 31.8 percent, 8.7 percent and 8 percent respectively.

Similarly, tourist arrivals from USA (11.2 percent), Canada (42.2 percent) and New Zealand (44.8 percent) increased during the period. However, arrivals from Australia went down by 5.5 percent.

TAAN, Travelife sign pact

Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) has signed a cooperation agreement with Travelife to introduce the Dutch firm’s sustainability system among TAAN members.

TAAN President Mahendra Singh Thapa and Naut Kusters of Travelife signed the agreement on behalf of their respective institutions on February 29.

The agreement covers three major issues – promotion of sustainability and Travelife among TAAN members, Travelife training and exam, and Travelife action planning and reporting. As per the agreement, Travelife in partnership with Great Himalaya Trail Development Program (GHTDP) will take responsibility for the adaptation of Traveling Training package in Nepal.

TAAN will support the testing and approval of the training.

Nepal 112th in tourism competitiveness

Nepal has been ranked 112th in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2013 published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) .

Nepal was ranked the same last year also.

In the Subcontinent, Nepal has been ranked above Pakistan and Bangladesh -- 122nd and 123rd.

India and Sri Lanka that are at 65th and 74th in the list. According to the report, various factors such as infrastructure, investment and price competitiveness were taken into account to prepare the rankings

Govt to open new peaks for expedition

The government is all set to unveil 23 new peaks for the expedition to promote mountain tourism amidst a diamond jubilee of the ascent of Mt. Everest on May 29.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Posta Bahadur Bogati said that the government is preparing to introduce new peaks for the expedition at the request of tourism entrepreneurs.

Minister Bogati had made such statement during the felicitation programme to Chhirim Sherpa (29) who has set Guinness World Records for being first women to climb Mt Everest twice in a single season on Monday.

Training on sustainability of tour operators concludes

The training on ‘Sustainability of Tour Operators’ organised by SNV Nepal in coordination with Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) and Trafelife concluded successfully in Kathmandu on February 26.

More than 60 tourism service providers, mostly trekking agencies, participated in the two-day training, TAAN said.

The training that covered issues like sustainable tourism, tourism impacts, supply chain management, sustainable destinations, customer communications, and communicating and marketing sustainable tourism.

The training was conducted by two resource persons from Travelife -- a Dutch firm.

Nepal to be promoted in African continent in March

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) together with different travel trade associations is going to organise Nepal’s first ever tourism promotion programme in the African continent in March.

The programme is being organised in celebration of the incredible journey of the ‘7 Summits Women Team’ from the summit of the Mt. Everest to Mt Kilimanjaro – the tallest peak on African continent, said Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) in its report. Led by Shailee Basnet, the team includes Asha Kumari Singh, Chunu Shrestha, Nimdoma Sherpa, Pema Diki Sherpa, Pujan Acharya and Maya Gurung. The promotional programme will be held at Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg.

The event is aimed at bringing more tourists from Africa to Nepal, said TAAN President Mahendra Singh Thapa. “We have found African tourists, especially from South Africa, interested to visit Nepal. But they are forced to book trips through European countries because they don’t have links with Nepali tourism service providers,” Thapa said adding, “We hope this programme will help establish links between African tour operators and Nepali tourism service providers.”

Team leader Shailee Basnet said the ‘Seven Summit’ campaign is an initiative to promote Nepal internationally. TAAN has provided monetary assistance of US$ 5,000 to the programme, said the association.

Tiger census starts in Chitwan

The counting of the rare Royal Bengal Tiger has started in Chitwan National Park to formulate a long-term plan for its protection and boost its population, state-owned news agency RSS reported.

The entire park area has been divided into different sectors for this purpose, Chief Conservation Officer Phanindra Kharel told RSS. He said the census has been started from the Triveni area in the western part of the park.

One hundred and sixty ultra-modern cameras have been installed and more than 24 technicians mobilized for the census.

A dozen elephants have also been employed for the census being done by adopting the camera-trapping and paw mark method, according to the park office.

The counting would be done by keeping the cameras in a single block for 15 days. It is said that it will take nearly three months for completing the field work.

The Chitwan National Park is home to the largest number of tigers in the country. Works on protection of the tiger are under way here in line with the policy of doubling the tiger population around the world by 2022.

UNESCO undecided on listing Kathmandu as endangered heritage site

With a controversial road that cuts through the Pashupati Monument Zone of Nepali capital Kathmandu still in place, the fate of the city being listed as a World Cultural Heritage Site has remained unpredictable.

In 2011, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the global custodian of world heritages, had suggested the government of Nepal to come up with an alternative to the dirt road that cuts through the Pashupati Area - one of the seven UNESCO-listed monument zones of Kathmandu - citing possible danger the road possess to Pashupati's archaeological and historical value.

According to UNESCO, if one of the seven monument zones of Kathmandu World Cultural Heritage Site - two Hindu sites (Pashupati and Changunarayan), two Buddhist sites (Swayambhunath and Bouddhanath) and three historic sites of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan Durbar Squares - is altered in such a way that the change mars the cultural and natural beauty of the site, the entire Valley will be listed as endangered.

"The government of Nepal has already submitted a detailed report to the UNESCO regarding the case, and various solutions to this problem are being discussed with Nepal's Department of Archaeology, Pashupati Area Development Trust and other stakeholders," said Axel Plathe, the UNESCO Representative to Nepal.

"The report addresses the issue well, which also reflects the seriousness the government of Nepal has taken in the matter."

According to Plathe, the report has been already forwarded to Paris where the World Heritage Center will assess it and submit their conclusion in the upcoming annual meeting of the World Heritage Committee to be held in Cambodia later this year.

Meanwhile, he refuted the rumor that Kathmandu will be de-listed from the World Heritage Site list if it is listed as endangered heritage site yet again. However, he added that like other world heritages across the globe, Kathmandu also has challenges and risks which should be tackled duly.

Earlier in 2003, UNESCO had already listed Kathmandu as an endangered heritage site once, owing to the newly built private houses around the Bouddhanath Monument Zone. The government had to reconstructed the houses complying with the historical designs.

"Just because Kathmandu has certain risks and challenges, it does not mean that the city will be listed as endangered world heritage site,"
Plathe said.

The controversial dirt road was constructed by the United Bagmati Cultural Development Committee, a local committee in the area, in 2007, which the Nepali Road Department and the Pashupati Area Development Trust claimed they had no clue during the inception.

"The constructors (of the road) did not come to us for our consent before dragging a bulldozer through the Pashupati Monument Zone," said Division Chief Gopal Bahadur Khadka of Department of Road Planning.

Similarly, member secretary of Pashupati Area Development Trust Sushil Nahta also lamented that the road was opened without the approval from his organization.

"It was on Saturday the track road was opened right through the middle of Shesmantak Forest of Pashupati Monument Zone," Nahta said. "When the office resumed on Sunday we were shocked after seeing the road in the middle of the forest."

Given the government's address on the matter, it is less likely that Kathmandu Cultural Heritage Site will be listed as endangered site, Plathe said. He also clarified that even if Kathmandu is listed as endangered site, the listing will be aimed at raising awareness for corrective actions from the government and other organisations concerned.

Kathmandu Valley, inscribed as a cultural world heritage site in 1979, is one of the four world heritage sites of Nepal, the other three being the cultural site of Lumbini, and the two natural heritage sites of Chitwan National Park and Sagarmatha National Park.

Pushkar Shah to cycle Great Himalayan Trail

Nepal's famous cyclist Pushkar Shah on Thursday emerged with an adventurous and inspiring mission -- cycling The Great Himalayan Trial for rural development.

Cyclist Shah, 43, who hails from a modest farmer family of Nepal's Dolakha district, had on November 29, 1998 set out from Nepal to travel the world on his bicycle to spread the message of peace. Eleven years later, on May 17, 2010 -- the final day of his successful accomplishment of world tour -- Shah was on the top of the Mount Everest with colorful flags of 192 countries.

After two-and-half years of physical and mental rest from his world cycling expedition for peace, which covered an extraordinary 150 countries and 390,000 kilometers, in a press conference in Kathmandu, Shah,revealed his next mission with an aim to promote The Great Himalayan Trial -- a 1,700 kilometer-long network of existing treks and trails of Nepal stretching from east to west and winding beneath the world's highest peaks.

According to Nepali trekkers, it takes 120 days for a person to walk through the trial, which includes a couple of high passes with altitude above 5000 meters.

Shah and his six-member team, including a mechanic and a photographer, will cycle for 45 days starting on April 5 this year from Western district of Darchula to Eastern Taplejung district.