KATHMANDU, Dec 30: Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has stepped up its activism in enhancing the beautification of the city to make Visit Nepal Year-2020 a success. The beautification of KMC has been put on priority as Kathmandu receives the tourists first upon arrival at the International Airport.

It may be noted that almost 90 percent tourists bound to Nepal travel via air. Currently, KMC has expedited the tasks such as electric cable management, coloring the heritages and sanitation.

It has mobilized four teams in removing billboards and advertisements which are giving an ugly look to the city. The removal of advertisement from main places of the city has been completed. Cable(wires) removal from Kathmandu's main tourism hub Thamel has also been done, KMC mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya shared. He informed that the similar work is being carried out in other public places as well. It is the chief responsibility of KMC to keep the city neat and clean so our efforts are underway accordingly, Shakya told RSS.

All wards chairs have been already directed to keep up sanitation campaign and make preparations to welcome guests, the metropolis sources said. The beautification of four key heritages of Kathmandu, Hanumandhoka, Soyambhunath, Bouddha and Pashupatinath, is taking pace. "We have put up our efforts to beautify four main heritages as around 90 percent foreign tourists are found to be interested in observing these sites", he noted.

The KMC has appropriated a budget of Rs 100 million for beautification in the current fiscal year. The official inauguration of the VNY-2020 is taking place on coming Wednesday. President Bidya Devi Bhandari is scheduled to inaugurate the VNY-2020 amidst a special function at Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is scheduled to deliver his special remarks on the occasion.

 With the inaugural ceremony at the federal capital Kathmandu, all seven state chief ministers will welcome VNY from their respective states. The VNY will be inaugurated in Nepali embassies in foreign countries on January 7.

The government has invited foreign ministers and distinguished representatives from 31 countries in the inaugural ceremony in Kathmandu. According to Nepal Tourism Board data, around 1.2 million foreign tourists had entered Nepal in the year 2018. It is shared roughly one million tourists had already arrived in Nepal during the 10 months of the year 2019.

 
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