Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), an agency formed under public-private partnership, seems to be losing private sector’s confidence and trust a decade and half after it was established for the promotion of tourism, both domestically and internationally, through a bill by the government in 1998.
A group of 17 tourism associations which included three affiliated with major political parties organised a press meet at Shanker Hotel Tuesday to express their dissatisfaction over recent works and activities of the Acting CEO of NTB, Subash Niraula. They also expressed anger towards the lackadaisical attitude shown by Niraula which, according to the tourism associations, has been seriously hampering the prospects of tourism in the country.
The tourism associations had organised the press meet after submitting a four-point memorandum to the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Bhim Prasad Acharya demanding appointment of equal number of representatives from private sectors and tourism associations as NTB board members, a complete auditing of the income and expenses of NTB through an independent committee comprising members from the private sector and financial experts.
Reading out the content of the memorandum submitted to the tourism minister, Ramesh Dhamala, President of the Trekking Agencies Associaiton of Nepal (TAAN), blamed Nepal Tourism Board of being involved in rampant corruption and intentionally trying to humiliate the private sector agencies involved in tourism in the country.
Similarly, the tourism associations also demand postponement of the proposed National Tourism Fair as planned by NTB by saying that it was done without consulting the private sector agencies.
They also demanded that Subash Niraula should be removed from the post of acting CEO of NTB by charging him that he was intentionally creating obstruction in the process of CEO selection to create an enabling atmosphere for him to assume the post.
The tourism association further threatened to cease all partnership with NTB if their demands are not met immediately.
In a separate note, Suman Pandey, Chairman of PATA Nepal Chapter mentioned dissatisfaction over NTB’s recent attitude towards private sector, calling it “totally negative”. Pandey further claimed that NTB is the initiation of Nepal Government to let private sector take the lead in the promotion of the country, but the spirit is totally abolished by present management of the Board.
Tourism experts also criticize NTB of failing to check massive corruption including misappropriation of the fund meant for promotion of the country by NTB officials themselves.
source
A group of 17 tourism associations which included three affiliated with major political parties organised a press meet at Shanker Hotel Tuesday to express their dissatisfaction over recent works and activities of the Acting CEO of NTB, Subash Niraula. They also expressed anger towards the lackadaisical attitude shown by Niraula which, according to the tourism associations, has been seriously hampering the prospects of tourism in the country.
The tourism associations had organised the press meet after submitting a four-point memorandum to the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Bhim Prasad Acharya demanding appointment of equal number of representatives from private sectors and tourism associations as NTB board members, a complete auditing of the income and expenses of NTB through an independent committee comprising members from the private sector and financial experts.
Reading out the content of the memorandum submitted to the tourism minister, Ramesh Dhamala, President of the Trekking Agencies Associaiton of Nepal (TAAN), blamed Nepal Tourism Board of being involved in rampant corruption and intentionally trying to humiliate the private sector agencies involved in tourism in the country.
Similarly, the tourism associations also demand postponement of the proposed National Tourism Fair as planned by NTB by saying that it was done without consulting the private sector agencies.
They also demanded that Subash Niraula should be removed from the post of acting CEO of NTB by charging him that he was intentionally creating obstruction in the process of CEO selection to create an enabling atmosphere for him to assume the post.
The tourism association further threatened to cease all partnership with NTB if their demands are not met immediately.
In a separate note, Suman Pandey, Chairman of PATA Nepal Chapter mentioned dissatisfaction over NTB’s recent attitude towards private sector, calling it “totally negative”. Pandey further claimed that NTB is the initiation of Nepal Government to let private sector take the lead in the promotion of the country, but the spirit is totally abolished by present management of the Board.
Tourism experts also criticize NTB of failing to check massive corruption including misappropriation of the fund meant for promotion of the country by NTB officials themselves.
source
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