South Asian Business news and information

On july 14^th, I wrote a post Nepal’s new “Pro-People” budget and the neglected tourism sector, where I expressed my concerns about the tourism sector of Nepal. Well today, I feel very happy to give you the good news. On October, Nepal’s new government is bringing out its master plan for Nepalese tourism. I am quoting from the report published in People’s Daily online.

“Nepal is preparing to bring out a Tourism Master Plan by October this year, The Himalayan Times reported on Friday.

Minister for culture, tourism and civil aviation Pradip Gyawali was quoted by the newspaper as saying that the master plan will incorporate policies, strategies and action plans for development, expansion and promotion of tourism sector."

In South Asia, countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Srilanka, have one thing in common; a fragile economy. They are not very highly industrialized. Tourism sector can be a great way to earn foreign currency because it does not require huge capital. Nepal, Bhutan, Srilanka, and Bangladesh have great landscapes. If utilized properly, they can attract tourists from different countries, bring in lots of foreign currencies and can be a source of livelihood for many people. I think these countries should learn a lesson from Nepal, where tourism is a major foreign currency earning sector, that flourishing of a tourism sector requires proper planning and implementation.

People’s Daily