It´s an irony in itself, in view of the commitments. Political leaders have been notorious for their doublespeak and this has been proved again loud and clear. It is unfortunate the unwarranted banda was called at a time when we need to promote Nepal in the international tourism market. This banda has proved once again that the political leaders are not at all serious in promoting Nepal as a tourism destination and calming the jitters in the industry.
What sort of impact will it have on NTY 2011?
Tourism is a very sensitive sector, where a small incident can have a very big impact. This banda has not only badly ruined the country´s image, it has also raised a big question over our credibility because, on the basis of the commitments made by the political leaders, we had assured travel managers worldwide that there would be no strikes through 2011. We have also seen the remarkable outcome as the country saw a healthy growth in the number of incoming tourists during the first three months of NTY. However, with this sort of activities, we are less optimistic over the sustainability of such growth. [break]
What would you like to say to leaders who didn´t fulfill their commitment?
The plan to keep the country banda-free during NTY 2011 was announced after in-depth consultations with all major political leaders, who talk at length about bringing an economic revolution in ´new Nepal´. But it seems the political leaders don´t want to see the citizens prosper and are not in favor of economic progress in the country. We believe with the continuation of such activities, the country will lose a golden opportunity to boost the economy through tourism.
What is your plan to make sure that such incidents wouldn´t happen in future?
In fact, we are tired of requesting the political parties not to promote any activities that hamper tourism development. Still, it seems we will have to remind them once again of their commitment. We have only one clear and straightforward massage: if we are serious about making NTY a success, strikes and bandas should be stopped completely.
Shakya is Coordinator of NTY 2011.
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