INTRODUCTION

On April 12, 1996, His Majesty's Government declared the year1998 as Visit Nepal 98 in order to further enhance the image of Nepal as a special destination for the visitors. To accomplish the programme objectives, various organisations and agencies both within and outside the tourism industry, have come together hand in hand to formulate a strategy to make Visit Nepal 98, a success.

The programme strategy has been formed taking into consideration that:

• more airlines will operate more international flights by 1998 and more airline seat capacity will be available
• there will be an atmosphere conducive for travelling internationally
• there will not be major socio-political instability in the region
• there will be political stability and current tourism policies will continue its direction
• programmes and activities so designed shall have an infrastructure to handle the expected number of visitor arrivals

The programme demands the undertaking and co-ordination of activities by different organisations in the tourism sector, i.e. government and private, other business sectors of the economy, other sectors of government, municipalities and local governments, NGOs, International organisations, self-help groups and most importantly the involvement of the people of Nepal.

Peoples participation is a key factor for the success of Visit Nepal 98. Between now and 1998, it is necessary to create an exciting festive atmosphere in Nepal. In Nepal, there are many significant cultural, religious, national and regional festivals which will be of interest for visitors. In addition, it is proposed to create special events for implementation during 1998.

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