A N H H L O A T E P L E N AS N SOCIATIO YEARS OF HAN 51966-2016 tourismWHITE PAPER ON POSITION PAPER ON POSITION PAPER 2017 INDUSTRY HOTEL NEPAL Half Yearly Annual General Meeting JUL Y 2 0 1 7 A N H H L O A T E P L E N AS N tourismWHITE PAPER ON SOCIATIO 4 WHITE PAPER ON tourism WHITE PAPER ON tourism 5 Back- ground his White Paper is issued by Hotel The United Nations also acknowledges TAssociation Nepal (HAN) for the larger tourism as a reliable vehicle for poverty benefit of the hotel industry and entire alleviation in the developing countriesand tourism sector of Nepal. HAN strongly believes suggests that with better plans, policies in the partnership approach in tourism and and partnership between the public and cherishes the private public partnership privatesectors, these countries could break approach where the government plays a role the vicious cycle of poverty by charting a of catalyst and facilitates the private sector trajectory of economic development.HAN in investment, operation of the industry and substantiates this view and has a tenacious delivering quality services to the visitors. conviction that tourism has a huge potential in Nepal to achieve the goal enshrined in the Established in 1966 with just eight members, new constitution of Nepal. HAN is the first travel trade association of Nepal and has positioned itself as the leader HAN has completed 50 years of its of the entire tourism industry since the very establishment and observed the Golden beginning. It is the umbrella organization of Jubilee celebrations. Part of the celebrations more than 1100 hotels and resorts, which are was a conference where HANhas kindled the largest investors, taxpayers and employers a public discourse on theprospects and in the tourism sector of Nepal. Together with challenges of tourism in the federal system. restaurants, hotel sector alone contributes Several experts and entrepreneurs having almost 2% to the national GDP. long experiences and profound knowledge on legal, investment, marketing and With the new constitution, Nepal branding issues of tourism interacted with hassuccessfully completed a long political the hotel entrepreneurs and media. The transition and now it is looking forward to a conference concluded with a resolution that more conducive environment for investment, economic prosperity is the precondition for business and economic development. The sustainable political stability and successful country is restructured into seven new states, implementation of new constitution and 75 districts and 744 local bodies; Gaonpalika, tourismis one of the most viable and municipalities, sub-metropolitan and promising means to accomplish the end. metropolitan cities which will be governed by federal, provincial and local governments. The overarching goal of the state restructuring is poverty alleviation through overall national development, more equitable social inclusion andregional balance. 6 WHITE PAPER ON tourism Nepal at a Glance raped along the mighty and mystical The country is divided into three ecological DHimalayan range, Nepal is profusely belts: the plain lowland (Terai), the midland endowed with bio-diversity and geographical (hills, doons and valleys) and the mountains. variations. It has almost one-third stretch of the These ecological zones have five climatic Himalayan range and houses eight of 14 highest zones ranging from the subtropical zone peaks in the planet, including the Mt. Everest. below 1,200m in altitude; the temperate zone Besides, there is an amazing assortment of other from 1,200m to 2,400m with cool temperature equally overpowering peaks and pinnacles, 90 in the hilly belt; the cold zone from 2,400m of them over 7000m in altitude. Mountains and to 3,600m; the subarctic zone from 3,600m to hills occupy two-thirds of Nepal’s territory and 4,400m and the arctic zone above 4,400m in the altitudinal variation ranges from 60m above altitude. sea level to 8848m, the pinnacle of Mt. Everest, within a mere distance of 150m. 4% 319 TYPES OF OF MAMMALS SPECIES WILD ORCHIDS ON EARTH 9% OF THE World’s BIRDS CROCODILES 850 (GHARIAL) SPECIES 124 OF 15 FAMILIES 11 OF BUTTERFLIES TYPES OF 7,000 600 SPECIES OF FLOWERING INDIGENOUS PLANTS PLANTS, 5% ARE ENDEMIC. WHITE PAPER ON tourism 75 Nepal is well known for wildlife conservation and the protected areas in Nepal cover almost one quarter of the country’s various geographical regions from the sub-tropical jungles to the alpine mountain region. There are 12 national parks, one wildlife reserve, one hunting reserve and four conservation areas. Considering the outstanding universal values of Chitwan and Sagarmatha National Parks, UNESCO has enlisted these sites as the natural World Heritage Sites. These protected areas cover a wide variety of vegetation with tropical and subtropical rain forests in the Terai to deciduous monsoon forests in the hills, alpine grasslands and tundra vegetation in the mountain region. The unique geography of Nepal fostersa variety of ecosystems, therefore, a country, which occupiesonly 0.1% landmassof the earth. 198 150 Nepal also has one of the richest cultural TIGERS ASIATIC landscapes found anywhere in the world. With a population of 28million, there ELEPHANTS 432 are more than 123 ethnic groups and WILD 120 spoken languages. Despite having BUFFALOES predominantly Hindu population (around 80%), the society cherishes social harmony 645 among people of different ethnicities RHINOCEROS and faiths. Equal reverence to the Living Goddess,Kumari and Lord Sakyamuni 350 Buddha (commonly known as Buddha) by both Hindus and Buddhists is the perfect BLACK BUCKS testament of interfaith tolerance and 500 social harmony.With these rich natural SNOW and cultural heritages, Nepal serves up the world a whole gamut of holiday options; LEOPARDS from relishing the charms of ancient city in 2,406 a leisurely walk to the ultimate challenge DEERS of climbing the tallest peak in the planet. 8 WHITE PAPER ON tourism posted strong results driven by the continuing Current growth in India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The UNWTO has designated 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for World Tourism Development and its panel of experts expects Scenario even better result in 2017. Leisure holidays, recreation and similar travels accounted for just over half of all international tourist arrivals in 2015. Some 14% ccording to the United Nations World of international tourists reported travelling ATourism Organization (UNWTO), international for business and professional purposes, and tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) reached 1,235 another 27% travelled for other reasons such million in 2016, up from 1,186 million in 2015. as visiting friends and relatives (VFR), religious The social media, the youngest progeny of digital reasons and pilgrimages, health treatment, etc. revolution, brings the visitors and destinations The pattern remains similar in 2016. unprecedentedly closer breaking down many traditional barriers. It is estimated that there are Travel and tourism contributed to almost 2.6 billion users of the social media worldwide, USD 7.6 trillion to the global economy, an evidence of colossal digital demand. Propelled 10.2% of world’s GDP in 2016. It employed by this new phenomenon and the very resilient 292 millions people or created onein every nature, tourism demand continued to be stronger 10 jobs. Receipts from international visitor in most source markets and destinations, despite spending on accommodation, food and drinks, several geopolitical uncertainties and challenges entertainment, shopping and other services in some parts of the world. and goods reached an estimated US$ 1260 billion in 2015, an increase of 127% in real Whereas Asia and the Pacific received a total to terms. International tourism receipts is also 309 million arrivals, 620 million tourist arrivals expected to grow in line with the growth in the have been recorded in Europe,. South Asia also tourist arrivals in 2016. is still considered a leader, particularly in nature Current Tourism and adventure-based tourism activities. However, a plethora of other viable tourism resources still remain under-utilized. Religious and spiritual Scenario in Nepal tourismis one such segment where Nepal has competitive advantage over other destinations. epal is located between China and India, the According to Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Nmost populous and growing economies in Civil Aviation, Nepal saw a resilient tourism the world. Commensurate to the growing size of year in 2016. The number had dwindled as a the middle class with more and more disposable consequence of massive earthquake in 2015, income, outbound markets of both the countries with a decline of 32% in comparison to the are also increasing creating tourism opportunities previous year. However, the tourist arrivals hit a in nearby tourist destinations like Nepal. robust growth of 39.7 % and more than 753,002 international tourists visited Nepal in 2016. India Despite having a long experience in tourism, the ranks number one and China number two in country is yet to realize its full potential. Nepal terms of number of visitor’s arrivals. WHITE PAPER ON tourism 9 Nepal received 518.5 millions US dollars in 2016 terms of natural resources Nepal is ahead of all and average income per visitor stood at 53 US South Asian counterparts but India. The report dollars. The total income is 11 % more than that highlights that India is the rising star in terms of of pervious year but the average income went tourism competitiveness in Asia. down by 23%. A total of 3354 mountaineering teams undertook mountain expeditions and 1225 Among the sub-component of these indicators, succeeded in climbing various mountains. These Nepal scored better in the followings: teams generated 287.5 millions of USD in Royalties to the Government of Nepal. RANKING OF SOME OF THE INDICATORS According to the World Travel and Tourism PERTAINING TO NEPAL Competitiveness Report 2017, published by World Economic Forum, Nepal is ranked at Sub-components Rank 103rdpostition, out of 136 countries.