KATHMANDU: Sudan Kirati, Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, has stated that tourism laws must be updated on a regular basis.
He said this while addressing the 50th anniversary of Nepal Mountaineering Association on Wednesday.
He stated that as tourism laws are outdated, they must be updated. He claimed that charging foreign visitors twice the price of Nepalis sent a negative message to the international community.
He also stated that tourism suffers greatly as a result of the restricted area. He asserted that prosperity through tourism is possible if Nepali tourism can be branded differently.
He said, ‘It is the originality of tourism. If we can brand it in the world community in a new way, prosperity through tourism is possible. The mountains of the earth are also a symbol of climate. We have seen scenes of mountains turning black as the climate changes. His Excellency the Secretary-General of the United Nations said in Parliament yesterday that the mountains are melting abnormally, showing special importance. Since 30 years, Nepal has been experiencing many major catastrophic events. The water level in the sea is rising. Culture is facing a big challenge. The possibility of more avalanches has increased. The solution to climate change has become a common challenge of the world. Nepal will survive only if we can protect the mountains of our country. Tourism Acts are old, need to be updated. We have doubled the ship fare for foreign guests. It is sending a negative message to the world. Due to the prohibited area, there is a great discomfort in tourism.’
Minister Kirati said that the mountains are dirty and that it is a challenge that everyone should work together to clean them. He said prosperity is possible in Nepal through tourism.
