Three candidates - incumbent 1st Vice president Shambu Raj Pathak, incumbent General Secretary Mahika Dhakhwa, and former 1st Vice President Madhusudan Acharya - have fielded their respective panels in the election.
Republica talked to all three candidates to know their agendas. Excerpts:
Tourism should be declared as a priority industry
Madhu Sudhan Acharya
I will work to put pressure on the government to declare tourism as a priority industry, and work for the betterment of those involved in travel and ticketing business and to make a common voice of the industry. As tourism industry cannot prosper in the absence of a strong national carrier, my team will press the government to strengthen Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) by expanding fleet and adding destinations.
I will put extra efforts for recovery of tourism industry hit hard by the April earthquake, Tarai unrest and the Indian blockade. Similarly, I will put focus on infrastructure development, and enhancing quality of our products and adding new products and services. My team will lobby for faster renovation of quake-damaged tourism infrastructures and historical monuments.
As most of the travel agencies are not in a position to accept new payment cycle introduced by International Air Transport Association (IATA), which requires agents to make payment every week instead of every two weeks, I will work to change that provision. My team will also work to so resume the IATA Billing Settlement Plan (BSP) which has been discontinued recently.
Our focus will also be on imparting trainings on digital marketing, social media marketing and making best use of IT on travel entrepreneurs. I will lobby for VAT exemption for tourism sector.
Tourism diversification will get priority
Mihika Dhakwa
My focus will be on making tourism a priority industry. We will do needful lobbying with concerned government agencies for that. I have also felt the need to update crucial acts, rules and regulations related to the tourism industry in line with international trends and practices. My team will coordinate with concerned government agencies to make amendment to existing laws, rules and regulations.
Diversifying tourism is my other objective. I will work to take tourism out of Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara and put extra efforts for development of tourism infrastructure in different parts of the country. We have not promoted new destinations in the past three decades. I want to give new taste to tourists by developing new tourism products and services.
My focus will also be on organizing trainings and workshops for skill development and enhancement of our members. We need to work for development of competitive workforce and groom our existing workforce as per the international trends and practices. I will also establish an interactive media center to address the problems and feedback our members.
I will work to revive Indian, Chinese market
Shambhu Raj Pathak
We need to have strategic plans for revival of market in China and India, increase air connectivity, beautify our airports and solving the problem at arrivals, departure and immigration to welcome more tourists. Our team will work with the government agencies for this. I will strongly lobby with the government to give 'industry' status to tourism sector so that it can expand rapidly. Similarly, my team will give needful suggestions to the concerned government agencies for the formulation of industry-friendly policies. My team will also work to organize national and international fairs in different parts of the country as well as foreign countries for tourism promotion. Such fairs will benefit lots of entrepreneurs as only a few entrepreneurs can afford to participate in international travel fairs.
Hotels are offering cheaper rates to international tour operators compared to us. My team will also work to change this practice. I will also take necessary initiative for changing the new IATA payment cycle which have created problems for travel agents and tour operators.
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