PATA Pledges Support To Revive Nepal Tourism

By Yuba Nath Lamsal KATHMANDU, May 26 (Bernama) -- The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) said it will work in partnership with the Nepal government and other agencies to revive Nepalese tourism industry, which has been badly shattered by recent earthquakes. PATA in a statement here Tuesday said the international travel-tourism association would take the initiative to help and support the Nepalese tourism industry's attempts to bounce back after the earthquake. PATA in partnership with Nepalese government and other agencies would prepare a recovery plan with clear guidelines and action plan by mid-June, for which some PATA experts would be directly involved, it said. PATA vice president Andrew Jones and crisis management expert Bert Van Walbeek, who have a long experience on crisis management and have helped countries like the Philippines, Thailand, Bali, Sri Lanka to cope with natural calamities and after war effects, are currently in Nepal to help revive tourism industry especially after the April 25 earthquake. An interaction between PATA authorities and Nepalese tourism entrepreneurs was held here Monday seeking to discuss a joint action plan for the revival of the Nepalese tourism industry that nosedived after the earthquake. In the interaction, Jones assured PATA would mobilise its network to help Nepal while Walbeek presented various innovative ideas for the recovery tourism industry in Nepal. In response, Nepalese tourism secretary Suresh Man Shrestha said Nepal in collaboration with PATA would prepare short-term, mid-term and long-term action plan for the recovery of Nepalese tourism sector. Tourism business has slackened as almost all tourists have cancelled the hotel and air ticket bookings and those who were already here have also left Nepal cutting short their trip immediately after the earthquake. However, almost 40 per cent hotel rooms are occupied mostly by those who have come to Nepal for relief works, according to Hotel Association of Nepal. Hotels, airlines and other tourism related organisations have announced special offers to bring the tourism business back to normal. An earthquake measuring 7.9 hit Nepal April 25 which killed more than 8,600 people and damaged property worth billions of dollars. -- BERNAMA