Tourism entrepreneurs say Nepal's tourism industry stands to lose more tourists if price of tourism products and services is raised in line with the increment in price of raw materials and petroleum products.
Price of daily commodities, including petroleum products, has increased significantly in recent months because of the Tarai unrest and Indian blockade. Tourism entrepreneurs say they cannot raise price of products and services even though price of most of the commodities has increased by 30 to 40 percent in recent months.
DB Limbu, president of Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA), said tourism entrepreneurs were compelled to buy petroleum products by paying higher prices as the government has failed to fulfill their minimum requirement for fuel“ "We are suffering as the business in autumn was down by 30 percent and for December it is projected to go down by 15 percent compared to last year. Likewise, we are also facing loss while operating groups as price of almost everything has increase”," he added. Limbu also said number of tourists will fall further if tourism entrepreneurs raised price of tourism products and services.
Petrol costs Rs 300 per liter in black market, while diesel and LPG are available at Rs 200 per liter and Rs 5,000 per cylinder, respectively.
The government has fixed price of petrol, diesel and LP gas at Rs 104 per liter, Rs 82 per liter and Rs 1,400 per cylinder.
Prabesh Aryal, executive director of Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), said hotels are passing through difficult times“ "Hotels can neither compromise on quality of service, nor raise price temporaril”," Aryal said“ "Tourism industry is suffering as the government doesn't recognize it as an essential servic”."
Similarly, Chandra Prasad Rijal, president of Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN), said that the government should categorize tourism services and provide fuel accordingly“ "Star hotels, trekking agencies and tour operators handling big groups need fuel in large quantity. We request the government to take data from their respective associations and provide fuel according”," Rijal added.
He also said tourism entrepreneurs should not increase price of their products and services as it might make negative impact on tourist arrivals“ "However, we even cannot operate in loss for long as our operating cost has increased by almost 40 percent”," he added.
Solidarity Walk Organized
Different travel trade associations took out a rally in Kathmandu on Friday to draw the attention of concerned government agencies toward problems being faced by tourism industry.Around 500 tourism entrepreneurs, workers and other stakeholders participated in the ''Solidarity Walk for Survival of Tourism' organized by Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA). The rally started from Tridevi Marga in Thamel and passed through Durbar Marg, Bhadrakali, Shahidgate and New Road before culminating into a corner meet at Basantapur.
Addressing the meet, DB Limbu, president of NATTA, requested the government to take all possible measures to save tourism industry.
Similarly, Vinayak Shah, general secretary of HAN, said this situation of uncertainty should end at the earliest“ "The government should let us know about the actual situation and clearly state whether or not it can fulfill our demand for petroleum product”," he told Republica.
Shah said that tourism entrepreneurs were working hard for tourism recovery despite suffering loss due to rise in prices of different products and services.
Nepal Tourism News Source: Myrepublica
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