前CEOのテック・バハドゥール・ダンギが満期退任の後、3ヶ月間CEOがいない状態であったが、今週次期CEOが決定されることになった。

【詳細英文記事】
Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), which has been without a head for about three months since the completion of the tenure of Tek Bahadur Dangi, is finally set to get its chief executive officer (CEO) anytime this week.
The selection process for the top job, which began more than a month ago, is almost complete, according to tourism sources. The selection committee has finished interviewing the candidates and is expected to submit its recommendation to the tourism board in the next two days.
According to insiders, the name of Subhash Nirola, currently the acting CEO of NTB has been doing the rounds, however there are a couple of other strong contenders as well who could tip the scales against him. Nirola, incidentally happens to be the only applicant from NTB, all others are from the tourism sector.
Altogether there are seven candidates who have been short-listed from a list of 15 probables. “The others did not fulfill the basic criteria of a minimum of 10 years experience in the tourism sector,” pointed out Prakash Shrestha, president, Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) and coordinator of the three-member selection committee. The other members of the committee include Basudev Tripathy and Mukti Pandey, from the private sector.
This time, in order to make the entire procedure more transparent, two observers, NATTA president Dhrub Narayan Shrestha and tourism academic Dr Rudra Upadhyay have been appointed to ward off any controversy on the appointment of the CEO.
According to Prakash Shrestha, the selection process was a long-drawn one, as all the candidates were required to make an elaborate presentation on a given theme (Challenges and Strategies of the tourism industry). It was followed by an evaluation of their qualifications, experience, public relations work and personality. “We will submit our recommendation in the next two days or so, but the ultimate decision rests on the board chaired by the tourism secretary,” pointed out Shrestha.

【詳細英文記事】

As a tourist destination, Nepal is expected to get much promotion internationally after the production of the film "Return To Mt. Everest" completes.
The new film is going to be produced by the filming team of IMAX Everest Film that attracted about 65 million viewers worldwide. Produced in 1996, the film is based on Mt. Everest.
Recently, a seven-member filming team associated with the Magillivray Freeman Films of the United States was in the Khumbu Region to identify the proper locations for shooting.

"Return To Everest will depict all the changes that have taken place in socio-economic conditions of the Sherpa community in the Khumbu Region during the last 10 years," Jamling Tenzing Norgay, who is the son of the first Everest climber late Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, told a press conference organized here Wednesday.

The team is planning to release the film in March 2009 in all the IMAX theatres worldwide. The US$ 8-12 million project also aims to incorporate expedition activities, technological developments related to climbing, and other challenging aspects of mountaineering, including ecological aspect.

Jamling and a Spaniard climber Araceli Segarra are going to play the key roles in Return To Mt. Everest.

He also said that a certain chunk of money earned from the film would be allocated for the development of the Sherpa community in the Khumbu Region.

"We will spend about two months in the Khumbu Region next spring for the film," said Brad Ohlund, director of photography of the filming company.

According to him, more sophisticated and heavy cameras and other equipment will be required for shooting the film.

Ohlund said that the film Return To Everest would have many more viewers than the IMAX Everest Film.

"The Sherpa community and their lifestyle will be the main focus of the film," said Jiban Ghimire, managing director of the Sherpa Shangri-La Treks and Expeditions (P) Ltd. that is handling the filming crew.

【詳細英文記事】

The ministry of culture, tourism and civil aviation (MoCTCA) is to table a proposal to acquire additional aircrafts for the ailing national flag carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) in the budget for the next fiscal year.
The ministry is finalising a proposal seeking adequate budget to acquire additional aircrafts for NAC as well as for the construction of regional airports, said Prithvi Subba Gurung, minister for culture, tourism and civil aviation.
He was addressing the 38th annual general meeting of Hotel Association - Nepal (HAN), yesterday.
He also admitted that Nepali tourism sector has been suffering due to lack of better air connectivity and poor performance of the national flag carrier, NAC.
“It calls for more homework from the side of the government to reap more benefits from the tourism industry,” minister Gurung said.
Prakash Shrestha, president of HAN said that the Nepali tourism is yet to recover from the trauma of decade long armed conflict and political instability in the country.
“Although we saw a light at the tunnels end after the establishment of Loktantra; strikes, Tarai unrest and many other forms of protest and disturbances have once again started to bleed the tourism industry blue,” he said.
Shrestha asked the government to provide compensation for the losses they have incurred and called for an equal status for the tourism industry at par with other industries.
Prasidha Bahadur Pandey, first vice-president of Hotel Association - Nepal, Dipendra Purush Dhakal, former tourism secretary and Ajay Ratna Sthapit, general secretary of Hotel Association - Nepal also expressed their views on the occasion.

【詳細英文記事】

ADVENTURE tourism has been steadily gaining in popularity over the years. This form of tourism is a new concept, which a country like Nepal possessing immense potential for such tourism should be able to cash on. Nepal's lofty mountains have been attracting mountaineers from all over the world, thereby, contributing to raise the standard of people working in various expeditions. Besides the money accruing from mountain tourism has been percolating to the grassroots level benefiting the people who reside in the remote regions of the country. The mighty mountains will continue to lure mountaineers who cannot resist the challenge of ascending them. Besides the mountains the country is blessed with numerous mountain rivers considered to be among the best for rafters. For them there is nothing to beat the thrill of shooting the rapids of these exotic rivers. The tourists apart from enjoying the rafting will be able to sight various attractions en route such as the way of the living of the people residing by the riverside.
The lifestyle varies even in short distances. This and other things would make the experience of white water rafting in Nepal unique. It is now up to the tourism entrepreneurs to promote the rivers of the country for rafting. Should they succeed in doing so then this would be another form of attraction for adventure seeking tourists. What is interesting to note is that rafting is also slowly gaining in popularity amongst the Nepalese people. This should by all account be encouraged for this would not only provide the rafters kicks but also contribute to the equitable distribution of income. In this context, rafting a programme to promote rafting in the Trishuli River is being organized. The programme envisages giving a fillip to domestic and foreign tourism by exploiting the potential of rafting. Adventure tourism is now recognized as one of the important forms of tourism. Publicizing rafting in now a policy of the tourism industry. There are many rivers in Nepal famous for rafting. The rivers like Karnali, Kaligandaki, Trishuli, Bhotekoshi and Sunkoshi, among others, are considered to be among the best for adventure rafting. As there are many other rivers in the country, which are equally ideal for this purpose, they could also be opened for rafter. As the rivers originate in the high altitude Himalayas the flow of the water in these is of great speed. Thus, promoting rafting would help boost the local economy at the same time raising the national revenue.