As per the decision taken at a meeting at Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) on Thursday, it was decided that HAN´s sub-committee would draft a proposal seeking three-year timeframe (as per the decision of the Public Accounts Committee) for closing the hotels, and would, simultaneously, put forth the problems faced by the 63 hotels running outside the conservation area.
"We will propose a new agreement between the seven hotels and the government and will also request the authorities to immediately address the problems faced by the hotels outside," Prasiddha Pandey, President of HAN, told myrepublica.com.
While the seven resort owners, who were earlier adamant on not leaving the CNP, have now agreed to the Committee recommendation to close down, the outside hotels too have joined hands with them to echo a "common voice" before the government.
The 63 hotels have, however, said that their support is based on HAN´s commitment to voice their problems before the concerned authorities. The 63 hotels have stood against the ´monopoly´ of the hotels operating from inside the Park and have demanded that they be given 20-30 elephants as per the carrying capacity through the Padampur VDC immediately.
"Our support is contingent upon HAN´s assurance that in the new agreement our demands will also be incorporated," Shankar Saiju, vice-president of Chitwan Chapter of HAN said in the meeting, adding, "It has to be one package deal now."
HAN´s proposal will also be supported by NTB, Nepal Tourism Year (NTY) 2011 working committee, and Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA). "In the light of upcoming NTY, we want that the resorts be given permission to open at once," Ram Kaji Koney, President of NATTA said.
Tourism Board urges prompt govt decision
Stressing that the stakes are too high at CNP for the upcoming NTY, NTB Chief Executive Officer, Prachanda Man Shrestha, said "There is no doubt that conservation is important, but the government´s indecisiveness will hit the NTY hard." He claimed that of bookings to be received for 2011, 25 percent will be for CNP resorts. NTB is expecting 1 million tourists for NTY.
"With the ongoing confusion, the NTY program is in jeopardy as promotional materials and some bookings have been finalized and distributed," Yogendra Shakya, the NTY coordinator and vice-chairman of the NTY working committee said. He added, "Nepal is losing one more product at a time when it should be adding products for NTY. This will portray a bad image abroad."
"It is best to ask the hotels to relocate. But the government must give enough time for the exit," said Shakya.
akanshya@myrepublica.com
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