KATHMANDU, Feb 5: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, and US Ambassador to Nepal, Randy Berry, have jointly launched a training series on English and operational skills for tourist police, immigration officers and tourism officials.

This multi-city, multi-month training program is an effort to enhance the English language skills of tourism-related officials to advance the economic growth and security goals of Nepal, according to US Embassy in Kathmandu.

Speaking at the opening ceremony in Kathmandu on Monday, Foreign Minister Gyawali thanked the US for the support, while terming the US as a long-standing development partner of Nepal.

"As Nepal's economy continues to strengthen and as it welcomes more and more international visitors, it is more important than ever that those on the front lines are able to communicate and resolve problems in English,” the US embassy statement quoted Ambassador Berry as saying.

The US Embassy's Regional English Language Office, in collaboration with the Integrated Development and Transformation Nepal (IDT), will help to enhance participants' English communication skills in their daily interactions with foreign visitors. This series of training in four cities throughout Nepal is expected to reach around 80 immigration officers, 50 tourism officials, and 43 tourist police.

In 2017 and 2018, Nepal Tourism Board reported that despite being located half way around the world from Nepal, travelers from the United States represented the third largest number of visitors to Nepal. Last year, Nepal had more than 90,000 visitors from the United States alone, up 12,000 from the previous year.

 
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