KATHMANDU, Dec 24: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Yogesh Bhattarai has urged bankers and head of financial institutions to support and participate in 'Visit Nepal Year (VNY) 2020' campaign.
Speaking at a discussion on VNY 2020 with heads and representatives of bank and financial institutions (BFIs) in Kathmandu on Monday, he sought the support of banking community to meet the objectives of the yearlong tourism promotional campaign.
"The government has laid high emphasis on VNY campaign. As it prepares the base for the growth of the tourism industry of the country, we request you to spread positive information about the country," he said.
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He requested chiefs and representatives of banks and financial institutions to light their offices as they do during the Tihar festival to celebrate the inauguration of VNY 2020 campaign.
According to Bhattarai, the government has given priority to build aviation infrastructure as development of infrastructure is key to bringing more tourists to the country. "We need a second international airport in Nijgadh of Bara at the earliest as Tribhuvan International Airport is nearing its saturation point, and the upcoming airports in Bhairahawa and Pokhara cannot serve as the alternative to Kathmandu airport," he added.
However, a lot is still do be done to prepare for the yearlong campaign. Roads connecting major tourist hubs like Pokhara, Lumbini and Nagarkot are in a pretty bad shape. Despite multiple media reports and requests from hotel entrepreneurs and tourism entrepreneurs, the government is yet to spring into action.
Speaking at the event, Bhuwan Dahal, chairperson of Bankers Association Nepal, said his association would provide needful support for the success of the mega campaign. Similarly, Anupama Khunjeli, the CEO of Mega Bank Ltd, said her bank would extend best possible support for the success of the campaign.
Meanwhile, Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, secretary at the tourism ministry, said banks and financial institutions could support the campaign by building restrooms at major tourist destinations and organized cleanup campaigns as part of their corporate social responsibility.
