Minister Bhattarai calls for support to VNY 2020

Kathmandu : Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Kumar Bhattarai has urged ambassadors of 31 countries to Nepal and heads of five development partners to help make the Visit Nepal Year 2020 successful. He made this request by inviting them to a meeting at the Ministry today.

Stating that the foreign ambassadors have an important role in making the VNY 2020 successful, he urged them to spread out the message about the mega campaign and help bring their nationals to Nepal. “I request you to celebrate the New Year 2020 and Christmas in Nepal, and please share this message with your fellow country men and women,” Minister Bhattarai said.

On the occasion, he also shared that the Tourism ministers of the countries concerned had been invited to the inaugural ceremony of VNY 2020. “I would like to thank you all for helping Nepal recover after the 2015 earthquake and look forward to your support again for making the tourism year successful,” he said.

Tourism Minister Bhattarai on the occasion shared that of the 891 heritage damaged in the earthquake 387 were re-built while the remaining were under reconstruction. The reconstruction will be completed in two years, he added. Nepal targets to increase contribution of tourism sector to the country’s GDP from the current three per cent to 10 per cent at the end of the 15^th five year plan.

Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa shall come into operation from 2020 and the Pokhara International Airport from 2021. Minister Bhattarai said that the government was working to address the concerns of the European Union over aviation safety of Nepal and to meet international aviation safety standards.

VNY Nepal 2020 Coordinator Suraj Baidya shed light on the tourism possibilities in Nepal, the preparations for VNY 2020 and about the tourism spots in the country.

Speaking at the event, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi  expressed the commitment to provide all possible support to make VNY 2020 a success.

US Ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry  said pledged to send publicity materials related to VNY 2020 to the USA and support the campaign.

Australian Ambassador Peter Graeme Budd, German Ambassador Roland Schiffer, Japanese Ambassador Masamichi Saigo, UN Resident Coordinator Valerie Julliand, EU Head of Delegation EU Head of Delegation Veronica Cody and others pledged to provide every possible support in making the VNY 2020 successful. —