GHTDP, Tara Air agree to promote tourist spots

Kathmandu: The Great Himalaya Trail Development Programme (GHTDP) and Tara Air have signed an agreement to promote tourism destinations in Nepal. As per the pact signed on Monday, the airline will include information about GHT on all its boarding passes besides putting flyers, posters and route maps in the seat pockets of its and Yeti Airlines’ aircraft. The GHTDP aims to help channel tourists and pro-poor tourism investments to under-developed districts, spreading tourism benefits more widely and inclusively among impoverished mountain communities. The effort has been supported by SNV Nepal and funded by the UK Department for International Development DFID/UKAid. This initiative will expand GHT’s visibility among a large number of domestic and international tourists who fly with Tara Air and Yeti Airlines, the airline said. The joint effort will also help strengthen existing businesses in remote hill and mountain districts. “We believe that tourism plays a significant role in the rural economy. The initiative will also be one of the numerous corporate social responsibility programmes that our group is doing to help society in every little way we can,” said Umesh Chandra Rai, general manager of Tara Air. “We want to help the people of virgin trekking sectors by bringing in tourists which will generate employment and income.” Meanwhile, GHTDP team leader Mim Hamal said that the GHT was a remarkable adventure product, and that the partnership would help improve the overall tourism industry by attracting tourists to places off the beaten track, thereby benefiting local communities. During the programme, Tourism Minister Ram Kumar Shrestha said the whole idea of joining hands with the GHT was to promote other destinations which are equally beautiful and enthralling to help develop the country’s tourism industry. The GHT is one of the longest and highest trekking trails in the world. The 1,700-km route connects popular treks in the Annapurna and Everest regions with exciting new trekking destinations from Taplejung in the east to Humla and Darchula in the west. Source: ekantipur