Nepal for all seasons
Nepal for all seasons
Qatar Airways has come up with new plans to start operating flights to more news destinations and increase flights on the existing routes. The airline has announced a raft of new destinations being launched over the next few months, including the airline’s first move into the US market and increased frequency on existing routes. In March 2007 alone, the airline plans to have four destinations added to its routes operated out of its operational hub of Doha. The airline will launch scheduled flights to Chennai, Bali and Ho Chi Minh City by the end of March. Similarly, the airline will…
View DetailNepal was promoted as a premier tourist destination at the ITB in Germany. The ITB, which is considered the biggest travel fair of the world, was held at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds in Berlin from March 7 -11, 2007. Under the coordination of the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), about 15 private sector participants took part in the fair, where a special presentation on "Naturally Nepal Once Is Not Enough" was made. According to NTB, renowned climber Wolfgang Nairz and Nepali participants portrayed Nepal's varied tourism products amidst a huge gathering of foreign media people and tour operators. Addressing a gathering,…
View DetailThe number of foreign tourists, who visited Nepal in the month of February 2007, increased by 62.6% as compared to the arrival figures of the corresponding month of last year. A total of 25,656 tourists came to the Himalayan country in February this year, while the number of visitors of the same month of 2006 stood at 15,776, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA). The growth, with not a single market declining, was outstanding not only from the Asian countries but also substantially from Europe and USA, the press release…
View DetailThe Everest Rescue Trust has launched a project that will design, build and operate a self-funding rescue helicopter service for the extreme altitude regions of Nepal. The humanitarian project (the Rescue on Everest Challenge) will help save lives on the world's tallest peak-- Mt. Everest-- and improve the safety and emergency services in the Himalayan country. This will directly benefit the Nepalese people. The information has been disseminated by the Everest Rescue Trust through its official website www.rescueoneverest.org. The website also hosts an interactive, distance learning schools programme, which will further stimulate interest in the project and allow children the…
View DetailAs planned, Visit Pokhara Year 2007 commenced in Pokhara from January 1, 2007. The tourism promotional campaign, which is the largest tourism event after the landmark campaign, Visit Nepal Year 1998, is being celebrated by organising a series of tourism-related programmes throughout the year. The event was opened by Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Mr. Pradeep Kumar Gyawali at a special function in Pokhara on January 1, 2007. Mr. Gyawali said that the celebration is being organised to capitalise on the ongoing peace process. The event aims to highlight Nepal as a premier tourist destination in the post-conflict…
View DetailChina Southern Airlines (CSA) has decided to start operating scheduled flights to Kathmandu from Guangzhou from February 5, 2007. Mr. Pankaj Rai, ticketing officer of the Gorkha Travels that represents the CSA in Nepal, confirmed that the air company would begin its flights from February 5. With its Boeing 757, the airlines will operate flights on Mondays and Fridays. The airlines has also changed the arrival and departure times. The flights will land at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) at 22:45 and take off at 23:45. Earlier, China's major flagship had announced that it would begin flying to Kathmandu from…
View DetailThe tourism promotional campaign-- Visit Pokhara Year 2007—began in the tourist hub city of Pokhara from January 1, 2007. Being the largest tourism event after the landmark campaign—Visit Nepal Year 1998, Visit Pokhara Year 2007 is going to be celebrated throughout the year by organising a series of tourism-related activities. Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Mr. Pradeep Kumar Gyawali inaugurated the event amidst a special function in Pokhara. Highlighting the objective of the event, Mr. Gyawali said that the celebration is being held to capitalise on the ongoing peace process for tourism promotion. The event aims to highlight…
View DetailAs an annual event, the Chitwan Mahotsav is going to be organised in Chitwan from January 12, 2007 in order to promote the businesses in the district. The 10-day festival will have a total of 360 stalls showcasing major manufacturing and agriculture products. Being organised jointly by the Narayanghat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, District Development Committee, Bharatpur Municipality, Ratnapur Municipality and Ratnapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the event will expose and highlight agro-products, information and communication technology products, dairy products, poultry items and tourism resources.
View DetailTourist arrivals (by air) in Nepal in the year 2006 registered a slight growth of 2.3% as compared to the figure of 2005, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. The year showed a mixed performance. Arrivals were positive in the first quarter (18.7%), while the number of visitors went down by 0.1% and 5.2% in the second and third quarters respectively. However, arrivals in the last quarter of 2006 indicated an encouraging trend. The month of December recorded a marginal growth of 0.4% in international visitor arrivals. Visitors arriving from Europe,…
View DetailA medical research team will climb Mt. Everest, the world's tallest peak, to look death in the face – and take its pulse during spring 2007. According to everestnews.com, the medical research team will make the first ever measurements of blood oxygen in the ‘death zone’, at altitudes above 8,000 metres where the human body has struggled - and frequently failed - to survive. The Centre for Aviation, Space and Extreme Environment Medicine (CASE) team, based at University College London (UCL), will lead the expedition to Mt. Everest. At the summit, clinicians will measure the amount of oxygen in their…
View DetailThe sixth British film festival is going to be organised at Kathmandu's Gopi Krishna Hall from January 15 to 19, 2007. The festival is being organised with assistance of the British Embassy and sponsored by Gopi Krishna Cinema, according to the British Council. The film Hotel Rwanda, which is based on the conflict of Rwanda in 1994, will be displayed on the opening day of the five-day festival. Various other films such as The Mistresses of Spices, Nanny Mcphee, Vera Drake and Joyeux Noel:Merry Christmas will also be screened during the festival. Similarly, the British film festival will also be…
View DetailA month-long trekking guide training kicked off at the Nepal Academy for Tourism and Hotel Management (NATHM) from January 14, 2007. A total of 251 persons from various trekking agencies are taking part in the training programme. The training programme is being organised by NATHM at the request of the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN), according to Mr. Shankar Prasad Kharel, Executive Director of the institute. Both theoretical and practical knowledge will be give to the trainees, said Mr. Kharel. "After completing the theoretical classes, the trainees will be taken to the field trip," he said.
View DetailPopularly known as the 'Snow Leopard", 64-year-old Angrita Sherpa is planning to attempt on the 8,848-metre Mt. Everest in the upcoming spring 2007. As per news reports, mountaineer Sherpa will be honorary member of the Loktantrik Everest Expedition. He hails from Thame of the Khumbu Region. Involved in the field of mountaineering for the last 50 years, Sherpa has already climbed Mt. Everest for nine times. Climber Sherpa's three sons have also scaled the tallest peak.
View DetailFifty-five-year-old Australian trekker Martin With died of heart attack during his trekking at Jamune of Khare Village Development Committee of the Dolkha district on January 13, 2007. According to police sources, he passed away when he and his wife were returning to Kathmandu from the Rolwaling region. The couple was on a trekking trip since the last 15 days.
View DetailIn what could be another milestone for Nepal's peace process, the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) have returned to the parliament following a decade-long "People's War". The inaugural session of the 330-member interim legislature approved the newly promulgated Interim Statute on January 15 evening. Both the Houses—the National Assembly and the reinstated House of Representatives—were dissolved with the opening of the interim legislature. The interim parliament has representatives from the major eight political parties, including the CPN (Maoist). The CPN (Maoist) alone has 83 lawmakers. The formation of the inclusive interim parliament has paved way for the formation of the…
View DetailWorld famous mountaineer Reinhold Messner has urged the German people to travel to Nepal, according to a press statement issued by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). Mr. Messner, who is the first climber to scale the world's 14 peaks above 8,000 metres and many other high mountains, made such a request at a press conference organised in Stuttgard of Germany on January 15, 2007. "Nepal is as safe as it used to be for the visiting tourists," he told the press conference that was attended by more than 40 journalists. Highlighting the fact that no visiting tourist faced any problem…
View DetailThe China Southern Airlines (CSA) has started operating its direct scheduled flights on Guangzhou-Kathmandu-Guangzhou sector from February 5, 2007. With 165 passengers, the maiden flight of the Chinese flagship landed at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on February 5. The passengers were greeted at the airport by the Panchakanyas (five little girls) attired in traditional Nepali dresses. Representatives the Nepal Tourism Board and Gorkha Travels Pvt. Ltd, the general sales agent of the airlines in Nepal, welcomed the passengers with garland and khada. With its Boeing 757-200 aircraft, CSA operates flights to and from Kathmandu on Mondays and Fridays. The commencement…
View DetailMinister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Mr. Pradeep Kumar Gyawali has said that the government has given full authority to the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) for purchasing aircraft. "NAC should start the procedure within one and a half months," Mr. Gyawali said. Addressing a gathering of the employees of the national flag carrier, he said that the corporation would be converted into a public-private organisation. With two aircraft, NAC operated its scheduled flights to about 10 destinations in Asia. Chief Secretary of the Government of Nepal Dr. Bhoj Raj Ghimire asked the NAC management to be very serious about…
View DetailNepal is having increased air access to Malaysia with GMG Airlines, the only privately owned airline in Bangladesh, starting its flights on Dhaka-Kula Lumpur-Dhaka sector from January 23, 2007. According to a press release issued by GMG Airlines on January 22, 2007, the flights will be operated three times in a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays) at 20:30 hours, local time at Dhaka, and will reach Kuala Lumpur next day by early morning, 02:30 hours. From Kuala Lumpur, the flight will depart on Mondays, Wednesdays Fridays at 03:30 hours, and will reach Dhaka by 05:30 hours. Mr.Virendra Nautiyal, Director –…
View DetailMountaineer dies on Ama Dablam A Spanish mountaineer died while descending from the summit of the 6,812-metre high Mt. Ama Dablam on January 19. According to Mr. Ganesh Neupane, managing director of Monterosa Treks & Expedition (P) Ltd., 47-year-old Guillermo Mateo Yeste, who was a climbing instructor from Madrid of Spain, had reached the summit of Mt. Ama Dablam, Mt. Everest's neighbour, and then fell 35 minutes after leaving the top. Mateo, who was the leader of a 7-member team, is believed to have fallen about 6,500 metres, Mr. Neupane, the Secretary of Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN), added.…
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