Tourism entrepreneurs demand favourable conditions for rafting

KATHMANDU, JUNE 1 : Increasing river pollution and haphazard mining have posed a threat to white water rafting in Nepal, said tourism entrepreneurs. Participants of the 33rd AGM of Nepal Association of Rafting Agencies ( NARA) here today expressed concerns over an increasing threat to the rafting business.

Director-General of the Department of Tourism, Taranath Adhikari said they were working seriously to address issues in the entire tourism sector. “Tourism entrepreneurs are primarily responsible for exploring ways to deal with the existing problems in the business and the Department is ready to collaborate with them towards that end.” Nepal Tourism Board vice-chair Chandra Prasad Rijal talked about the potential for expansion of the rafting business in Nepal, admitting the role of the government in protecting rivers and streams in the country.

Chair of Nepal Association of Tours and Travels Agents ( NATTA ) Ramesh Thapa said rafting had its contributed to the promotion of Nepal’s adventurous tourism, but the business now faced a challenge for its sustainability while Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal ( TAAN) chair Khum Bahadur Subedi spoke the need of collaboration and cooperation among tourism entrepreneurs for recovery of tourism industry largely affected by COVID-19 pandemic.

Chair of the National Tourism Entrepreneurs Association of Nepal, Chair Deepak Mahat and Chair of the Nepal Tourism Entrepreneurs Organisation, Nawaraj Dahal, said that the construction of hydropower projects in the areas having potentiality for rafting business had its adverse effects on the industry. NARA chair Ganga Prasad Nepal, vice-chair Mekh Bahadur Ale and general secretary Shishir Khanal drew the attention of the government to rescind its decision to increase the amount of authorized capital required for registering a rafting company from Rs 500 thousand to Rs 5 million. The AGM will elect new leadership for the Association, it is said. RSS