|
| Nepal
to host 12th PATA Adventure meet
Adventure
travel and eco-tourism experts will gather at The Fulbari Resort in Pokhara, Nepal for the
12th Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Adventure Travel & Eco-tourism Conference
& Mart from January 28-31, 2000.
"For the first time ever, the mart itself will be held outside in tents which will provide a true Nepalese experience for all delegates," said Ms. Erin MacArthur, Director-Events for PATA. "Sellers will have tents for booths, and buyers will go from tent to tent to conduct business." Ms. MacArthur and Ms. Tik Phentip Chomprang, PATA's Manager of Events, visited Pokhara in August along with PATA Nepal Chapter and Nepal Tourism Board officials to plan out the details for the adventure meet. The theme of the 2000 conference and mart is "Minimum Impact, Maximum Experience". An international cast of invited buyers will meet up with specialized product and service suppliers of adventure travel and eco-tourism from all over Pacific Asia. The mart will be strictly for business sessions and appointments will be scheduled in advance. PATA Nepal Chapter reviews its activities Taking stock of its activities in 1998-99, PATA Nepal Chapter chairman Ashok Pokhrel said that the most notable one that the Chapter had undertaken was the successful bid to host the 12th PATA Adventure Travel & Eco-tourism Conference & Mart in Pokhara in mid-west Nepal from January 28-31 next year. He made this observation at the 24th annual general meeting of the Chapter held in Kathmandu on August 9. The meeting was also attended by Minister of Tourism & Civil Aviation Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar.The Chapter’s other activities during the year
included: • Inviting familiarization tours from Hungary, Israel, Sweden and Japan while organizing sales missions for Chapter members to Zurich, Switzerland, and Amsterdam, Holland prior to the ITB ’99 in Berlin • Coordinating Nepal’s participation at the ITB ’99, Brussels Travel Fair and World Travel Mart • Organizing a road show, which had been six years in the planning, in nine cities of the United States in August jointly with the Nepal Tourism Board and Singapore Airlines • Making a promotional video film "Nepal, Beyond the Mountains" that is available in five different systems and four languages and • Launching a monthly newsletter, PATA Nepal Chapterfax, that informs its members of PATA Nepal’s activities and PATA activities worldwide Just like the past year, the current fiscal year looks as if it will be as hectic. This year, the Chapter’s marketing incentives include a sales mission to the Scandinavian countries in November; sales mission to the Japanese cities of Nagoya, Fukuoka, Osaka and Tokyo en route to JATA ’99 also in November; familiarization tours for its American and French Chapter members; and invitation to a sales mission from the US. Addressing the function, the minister said that he would do everything to promote Nepal’s tourism. But he added, "There is more to tourism than just Lumbini and Everest. Let us explore new destinations together." |
