SANGAM

Nepal has not capitalized on Lumbini’

SANGAM PRASAIN
APR 01 -2010
Dr. Victor Wee is chairman of Malaysia Tourism Board and also chairman of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Programme Committee. He is a former secretary-general of Malaysia's Ministry of Tourism. He was also chairman and overall coordinator for the Visit Malaysia Year 2007 campaign, which saw a 19.5 percent hike in tourist arrivals in 2007 compared to the previous year. The Kathmandu Post talked with Dr. Wee about how Nepal's ambitious target to bring one million tourists during Nepal Tourism Year 2011 could be realised. Excerpts:



Tell us about your relationship with Nepal.



I was invited to speak at the 40th annual general meeting of Hotel Association Nepal (HAN). Before this, I had been invited to speak at the PATA conference held on Feb. 1. I had also been invited by Nepal's Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. At that time, I had talked about how the country could make NTY 2011 a success. At the previous conference, I had mentioned how Lumbini could be accessed as a gateway for pilgrims by linking up and bringing low-cost carriers.



Which markets should we be concentrating on?



My latter presentation was titled "Breaking into new markets with product innovation". I have noticed that the national campaign run by the government aims to attract tourists from Europe. If you look at the global mega trend, Asia has become a rich market for tourism, and more emphasis and marketing should be done for this region. A successful campaign will require close cooperation between the government and tourism players.

Tourism in Asia Pacific is growing rapidly. By 2010, it is estimated that about 400 million tourists will come from this market. In context of Nepal, the two emerging markets, China and India, are the potential markets due to short-haul routes. Really, Nepal is in a strategic position.

For the Asia Pacific market, Lumbini needs to be developed. Air Asia, Malaysia is prepared to come to Nepal. Apart from Malaysia, the Buddhist pilgrims market for Nepal are Thailand, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. Nepal still has not capitalised on or taken advantage of Lumbini.



What would you suggest to Nepal's tourism players and the Nepal Tourism Board to make NTY 2011 a success? What lessons can be learnt Malaysia?



The success of the Malaysian tourism sector is due to the highest commitment of the government. Second, close coordination with the industrial players and local levels; and third, organising regular promotional events. The tourism players should not only focus on the traditional source markets in the Western countries when you draw up your marketing plans and overlook the mega trend of the big increase in income and travel that is occurring in the Asia Pacific region.

New markets are opening up in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Russia and the Balkan countries; and attracting tourists from these new destinations requires your participation in international expos and trade fairs.



Malaysia is a prominent destination for Nepalis, but arrivals from Malaysia are small.



Yes, there are more than half a million Nepali workers in Malaysia. It's very huge, and the flights are largely filled by the workers. In addition, there is only one airline, Nepal Airlines, connecting Malaysia. You need to have more flights. Some Malaysian airlines are showing interest to connect Kathmandu. They will sell the destination so Nepal needs to embark on an awareness campaign early.



What must Nepal do to meet the envisaged target of one million tourists?



Nepal needs to start its promotional campaign right now so that tourists interested in visiting Nepal know about the new products and destinations. Similarly, Nepal should decentralise its destinations. Instead of concentrating on Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan need to be explored as new destinations.

Likewise, tourist sites should be kept clean. More infrastructure must be developed. Most importantly, creation of a business friendly environment and peace and stability are the key to propelling tourist growth.