NTY 2011: Eyes and hopes on Indian and Chinese tourists’ arrivals

Kathmandu – November 23^rd
Nepal will pull all the stops to bring 100,000 tourists from China for the Nepal Tourism Year {NTY} 2011, as ascertained by the NTY working committee. Yogendra Sakya, coordinator of the NTY-2011 on Monday made this disclosure of the projected Chinese tourists’ arrival at the inauguration of the 3^rd National Tourism Fair – 2009 and the 3^rd NATTA Himalayan Travel Mart being held currently. As per hoped for projections of the working committee, Nepal intends to focus on bringing the maximum number of tourists from its two immediate neighbors – India and china. The projection aims to bag 36.2% of the total tourists’ arrivals for 2011 from these two countries, of which the lion’s share, it is hoped will be from India, traditionally always being the largest share for inbound tourists from around the world. Nepal Tourism Board {NTB} stats indicate Indian tourists occupy a quarter shares of 24% arrivals by air in 2008. Tourism entrepreneurs also gleefully say Indian tourists’ are definitely the world’s highest spenders. Retroactively, Chinese tourists may come as a surprise for many; as of date, they make up only 4% of the overall tourists arrivals. However, Chinese tourists visiting Nepal has gradually picked up the tempo of late.

Sri Lanka occupies third pole position in the arrival projection. Nepal aims for a protracted arrival of 76,000 Lankans for 2011. NTB stats go on to project predicted arrivals of 9% from the United States. The arrival projection for 2011 is 55,000 which are 5.5% of the target. US tourists’ arrivals by air in 2008 were 26,762.

Nepalese tourism officials and entrepreneurs urged delegates in earnest at the inaugural session of NATTA Mart on Monday to promote Nepal NTY-2011 to the hilt.
Should NTB’s projections see its dreams turn into reality, then the Gods of nature shall smile for a long time to come; Nepal’s beautiful landscapes deserve nothing less.