The international airport management has come up with a plan to increase foreign tourists to the country in coordination with the private sector in the district.
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A tourist growth plan has been put forward to regularize international flights at Gautam Buddha Airport in Bhairahawa, Rupandehi.
The international airport management has come up with a plan to increase foreign tourists in the country in coordination with the private sector in the district. After various international airlines started flights to Bhairahawa during the four years of operation, the airport management has taken the initiative to invite as many tourists as possible. The plan has been put forward in collaboration with industrialists, businessmen, tours and travel organizations to attract tourists. The airport says that international flights will automatically be operated as soon as more tourists are attracted by promoting the destinations here. Acting General Manager of the International Airport, Shyam Kishor Sah, said that initiatives are being taken to promote tourism in India and South Asian countries by preparing tour packages that include Nepalese destinations in collaboration with the private sector. The airport had held a meeting with private sector representatives a week ago to create an environment for more tourists. He said that the meeting was organized on Monday as a continuation of that. He said that a tourist growth plan has been put forward to meet the goal of operating regular international flights.
A Rupandehi-based Tours and Travels entrepreneur has been given the responsibility of creating a systematic tour package covering destinations in Lumbini Province. ‘The issue of means will come only after the number of tourists increases,’ said Sah, ‘there are airports and planes, but tourism has not been promoted.’
He said that international airlines will operate flights from Bhairahawa as soon as air passengers increase. For that, he said that tour packages should be prepared and tourism should be promoted abroad. ‘Thai Air Asia’s flight, which flies twice a week, also has a shortage of passengers,’ he said.
Travel entrepreneur Chandra Thapa said that despite the high number of passengers going to Thailand from Bhairahawa, the plane from there returns empty. He said that a way should be found to increase the number of passengers coming directly to Bhairahawa from Thailand. Buddhists coming from Thailand are also coming via India. ‘Nepal’s tourist destinations and international airports should be promoted in Thailand,’ he said. ‘For that, cooperation between the private sector in Rupandehi is necessary.’
Tourism entrepreneur Sagar Adhikari said that since the pressure-based movement for the operation of the airport has not yielded any results for the past two years, it is now necessary to build local structures and go to the state bodies to promote tourism. ‘Tourists coming to the Buddhist circuit are seasonal,’ he said. ‘Therefore, when there are no passengers, we should continue the flights even if it is by sending representatives of the private sector from Lumbini Province abroad. Let us unite for that.’
JP Kandel, Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce Lumbini Province, said that there is no information about Lumbini and Gautam Buddha International Airport abroad. ‘Foreign guides do not know about Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha,’ he said, ‘that is why it is necessary to promote tourism together with private sector organizations.’
He said that airlines providing domestic air services in Nepal should also have a bulletin containing materials promoting the services and facilities of Gautam Buddha Airport.’
Thakur Kumar Shrestha, outgoing president of the Siddhartha Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that efforts so far to regularize international flights have failed. ‘We can succeed only through joint efforts of airport management and the private sector,’ he said, ‘Let’s also operate inter-provincial flights within the country. That will help increase the number of passengers in Bhairahawa.’ He said that an environment should be created for tourism, even by meeting the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, India.’
Lumbini Province President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Krishna Prasad Sharma, said that responsibility for operating the airport should be divided among private sector organizations. He emphasized that it is now necessary to decide which organization will do what work. ‘Let’s discuss what kind of package to prepare,’ he said, ‘Right now, we have a challenge to sustain Thai Air Asia.’ He said that all private sector organizations will be called next week and the responsibilities will be divided after discussion.
General Manager Sah informed that he had expressed gratitude to the Thai princess, who visited Lumbini this week, for regularizing flights and for the support so far. The member of the Thai royal family, who came via India, stayed at the Royal Thai Monastery in Lumbini. During that time, she had a visit to Mayadevi. After staying for a day, she returned home via a chartered plane via Gautam Buddha International Airport. A welcome and farewell program was held at the airport with a fanchakanya. Sah had handed over a letter of gratitude during this ceremony.
