NTB strike is undemocratic: Tourism entrepreneurs; PM urged to intervene

May 15, 2006
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Tourism entrepreneurs have opposed the continued strike at the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) since a week.

Talking to Nepalnews Monday, tourism entrepreneur Ashok Chandra Pokhrel said the continued strike at the NTB has affected daily administration of tourism industry.

“NTB has to provide regular service to the tourists. Not only that, many promotional programs have been affected due to the strike. This is against the interest of tourism entrepreneurs and is hampering promotion of the ailing tourism industry,” he commented.

He further said that closing down the office is not a solution. “Sitting for negotiation to find out solution and reach an agreement is the democratic way in real sense,” he added. The protesters are acting undemocratically under the banner of “Democratic Tourism Society”, Pokhrel commented.

The protesters led by Deepak Mahat of the Society have padlocked the NTB office since last Monday. They have said the office will not be opened unless NTB’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tek Bahadur Dangi resigns from his post.

Spokesperson of the NTB Aditya Baral said the NTB has cancelled the promotional campaigns to be launched in India to attract more tourists from there this summer. “We were in final preparations for the campaign. Agreements with Indian tourism agents and airlines were being finalized. But unfortunately all these have to be cancelled,” he added. The obvious results would be low tourist arrivals from India this summer, he said.

Baral urged the protesters to allow the functioning of the Board even though they demand the resignation of the CEO. “We are not concerned who leads the NTB but our duty is to provide service to the tourists,” he said.

“Such activities have hampered the NTB’s attempts to capitalize on the open and peaceful environment afforded by the restoration of multi-party democracy in the country,” CEO Dangi had said to Nepalnews a couple of days earlier.

Meanwhile, various tourism-related organizations including Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA), PATA Nepal chapter, Trekking Agents Association of Nepal (TAAN), Nepal Association of Tour Operators (NATO) and Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) have condemned the act of gheraoing the NTB office and said they had reservations towards the ‘anarchic activities’ carried out within the premises of the NTB. Presenting a memorandum to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala today, representatives of these organizations asked him to intervene to end the strike.

A statement issued by HAN on behalf of these organizations said the PM was urged to direct the concerned authority to work towards ending the strike.