Stakeholders’ consultation meeting is a program that brings together relevant stakeholders, such as policymakers, academics, social activists, businessmen, and representatives of civil society, to collect information and insights on specific policy concerns.  A stakeholders’ meeting on “Tourism challenges and potential of Koshi Province” was organized by Bikalpa an Alternative on June 2, 2023. The stakeholders meeting’s objective was to discuss the current challenges the Koshi province’s tourism industry is now experiencing and to highlight potential opportunities for its growth. The deputy mayor of Biratngar, Mrs. Shilpa Nirala Karki, attended as the event’s chief guest, while Koshi Province SSP, Mr. Jaya Raj Sapkota, participated as a special guest. Representatives from Ministry of Tourism and Environment of Koshi Province, private organizations, business associations, Hotel Associations, and civil society members bestowed their valuable insights on the current scenario of Tourim Industry in Koshi province.

Mr. Basanta Adhikari, the director of Bikalpa an Alternative, facilitated the event. The event began with the presentation of a short video developed by Bikalpa that described the state of tourism in Nepal. The floor was then open for discussion. Following are the perspectives put forward by the participants:

Rajan Shrestha (Hotel Association Nepal, Koshi Province)

In Koshi Province, there are numerous tourist attractions, such as scenic beauty, religious diversity, cultural diversity, and climate variation. The full potential of all these things is not being utilized by our province. Insufficient infrastructure is the primary cause of our development lag. The three levels of government are not coordinating with each other well. Another significant factor is the lack of road connectivity and for Indian visitors to freely enter our nation, a number of obstacles still exist. For example: Bringing more than Rs. 25000 is prohibited and unnecessary multiple checking is bothersome for them. Similarly to this, royalties from the five tallest mountains go to the federal government, and neither the local nor the provincial governments can access what they are entitled to. In order to improve the state of the tourism industry, the Koshi province needs to concentrate on flight connectivity from Biratnagar airport and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourism.

Bhabish Shrestha (Federation of Nepal Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Koshi Province)

The control of the Rs. 500 and Rs. 2000 in Indian rupees has led to a concern among Indian tourists. Implicit policies, a lack of qualified human resources, a lack of advertising, and a lack of coordination and discussion among stakeholders are some of the issues faced by the tourism industry. Koshi province should develop and put into effect policies that prioritize Indian, Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, and domestic tourists. In order to facilitate road travel for tourists from Bangladesh, the government should develop diplomatic ties with the government of India. Through travel packages and advertising, Koshi Province’s other tourist attractions should be promoted to visitors who are traveling to Nepal to climb Mount Everest.

Rakesh Surana (Chamber of Industry Morang, President)

Multiple taxes should not be levied on visitors. Efforts should be made from the government side to display a banner on the Indian Railways Stations that shows the tourist destination and attractions of Koshi province. Packages that are comprehensive and convenient should be offered for the tourist’s holistic holiday experiences. A 24/7 support and information center should also be available for the dissemination of information, safety advice, and problem solving.

Punya Bhattarai (Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agent)

Education tourism has been impacted because of the reduction in international student quotas in the medical area. In this way, the major revenue-generating sources have ceased. The families of medical students from countries like India, Bangladesh, and the Maldives used to stay in Nepal for at least 15 days to visit their children. Before implementing regulations, the government should consider the unintended consequences and thoroughly research any potential harmful effects.

Chetan Niraula (Federation of Nepal Cottage and Small Industries, Morang)

The essential components of tourism preservation include warmth, hospitality, and mementos. The tourism sector also includes micro- and small-scale industries. Products from cottage and small enterprises like Dhaka Topi, khada, Mala, etc. serve as the foundation for welcoming tourists. As a result, these industries must grow in order for tourism to grow.

Bashudev Bhattarai ( Hotel Association of Koshi)

We must first determine the primary tourist destinations in Koshi Province. What we intend to market as a tourist attraction or product must be clear. We also need to know which tourists we want to attract. Additionally, we need to create travel packages that cater to our target market. There is no new destination introduced, and the government offers no incentives to businesspeople or entrepreneurs to offer their services in that tourist spots. To boost visitors’ stays in Nepal, we need to draw them in with our natural beauty and tourist attractions. Instead than focusing on airports, we must now increase road connectivity.

Chudamani Bhattarai (Director General, Chamber of Industry Morang)

Conferences and a tourism expo were held by the Chamber of Industry Morang (CIM), which in some ways helped Biratnagar’s tourism industry. We struggled to find sufficient hotels to accommodate the tourists and visitors during that time. In Biratnagar, there aren’t any travel agencies offering tourism packages. The focus should be placed on events like international conferences related to health, sports etc.

Vijay Hari Sharma (Confederation of Nepalese Industry, Koshi Province)

Investors are unable to reliably invest in the sector due to ambiguous and confusing policies. It is important to identify several tourism development areas and pay close attention to each one individually.

Ram Sundar Thapa (Ministry of Tourism and Environment)

The growth of the tourism industry is essential to the success of the Koshi province. Koshi Province isn’t doing as well as it could at promoting adventure tourism.  The ministry intends to offer locals scholarships for rafting guide training in order to promote rafting as a fascinating sport. The ministry also values creative production, local production branding, and organic manufacturing.  The budget has been allocated to promote the Koshi province’s tourism in Bihar, Sikkim, and West Bengal. The key problem is a lack of coordination that makes it difficult to properly implement policies for the development of the tourism industry.

Jaya Raj Sapkota (Senior Superintendent of Police, Koshi Province)

The primary cause of the tourism industry’s lag is policy barriers. Although power has been divided as a result of federalism, Mount Everest trekkers have no connection to the province. It is obvious that the tourism board is incompetent. To reduce the unpleasant behavior of the visitors, a police inspection and investigation must take place. At the border, a help desk and a means of information dissemination are required.  The rumor that the police agency is taking away the money more than Rs. 25000 from Indian tourists is wholly untrue. We have been seizing money whose sources are not properly disclosed. There won’t be any obstacles for tourists from our side because the police department is always prepared to coordinate.

Shilpa Nirala Karki (Deputy Mayor, Biratngar Metropolitan City)

There aren’t many statistics on tourism in Biratnagar. When I was elected as the deputy mayor of Biratangar Metropolitan, there was no tourism department here. Biratnagar now has a department of tourism. The roles of the stakeholders should be split and statistical data should be presented. The municipality of Biratnagar has a number of plans to keep visitors in the city for at least two days.  A budget has been set aside for the tourism industry. The beautification of Birat Raja Durbar, Hanuman Mandir, and Pradhanmantri Park are a few initiatives that have been commenced. We have also begun the process of properly branding and advertising the second-largest rathyatra in Asia, which takes place in Biratnagar every year.