Kathmandu : The Visit Nepal Year 2020 has been officially inaugurated amidst a special ceremony held at Dasarath Stadium Wednesday evening.
The VNY 2020 is being observed as a national festival with a target to bring in 2 million tourists, with a determination to establish tourism sector as the major foundation of Nepal’s economic prosperity.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari inaugurated the VNY 2020 amidst a grand ceremony held at the Stadium.
In his welcome speech, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai said that the VNY 2020 was only an entry point and that the government was preparing to observe the coming decade as the tourism decade.
Prior to the official inauguration, march past by associations related to the tourism sector, social organisations were held while the Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force made a special presentation. Renowned musical bands of Nepal also performed on the occasion.
The VNY 2020 was also officially inaugurated in all the seven State today including in Biratnagar of State no. 1, Janakpur in State no. 2, Suraha, Chief in State no. 3, Pokhara in Gandaki State, Thakurdwar, Bardia in State no. 5, Bulbul lake in Karnali and Dhangadi in Sudur Paschim State.
President Bhandari for development of tourism through conservation
President Bidya Devi Bhandari has underscored the need to develop the tourism sector of Nepal by considering conservation of Nepal rather than opting for destructive approach. President Bhandari asserted that two-decade long flagging socio-economic condition of Nepal should be reinvigorated through tourism.
Tourism has been contribution 3 per cent to the country’s gross domestic product. Through the Visit Nepal 2020 campaign, government of Nepal aims to attract as many as 2 million foreign tourists thereby further bolstering its contribution to the revenue.
Urging for collective effort among the Nepalis home and abroad to take forward the campaign as a ‘mega one’, President Bhandari underlined the need for promoting country’s tourism in a phase-wise manner and through the optimal use of resources.
Stating that the Visit Nepal Year 2020 would be a base year as the government was mulling to mark the next decade, 2021-2030, as the tourism decade, the President said, “Nepalis all over the world should be united to promote the cause of world peace, humanity and fraternity.”
Furthermore, the Head of the State said that Nepal was the best tourism destination with Sagarmatha (Mt Everest), birthplace of Lord Buddha-Lumbini, Chitwan and Annapurna Base Camp and other attractive destinations.
Stating that natural, cultural, environmental and physical development should be taken into account while developing and promoting tourism in the country, she viewed that locally produced food items and goods should be used while hosting the foreign tourists.
Also speaking in the inaugural, Wang Xiaofeng, assistant Minister for Tourism of China, Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister for State for Culture of India, U Ohn Maung, Minister for Hotels and Tourism of Myanmar, among others pledged to support Visit Nepal 2020 campaign to their level best in their respective countries.
China’s Assistant Minister Wang urged Nepal to host tourism promotional events in China while Myanmar’ Minister for Hotels and Tourism Maung shared that a promotional event regarding Visit Nepal 2020 would be held in Myanmar coming March.
Likewise, India’s Minister for State for Culture Prahlad Singh Patel said that religious tourism could be promoted between India and Nepal through Pashupatinath Temple and Janaki Temple in Nepal and Lord Ram’s birthplace in present-day Ayodhya in India.
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