Pokhara, Jan 24: Pokhara Metropolitan City (PMC) has intensified preparations for observing the Pokhara Visit Year, 2025 in a grand manner. PMC had declared Pokhara city the tourism hub of Nepal last year.
The Visit Year is expected to spur economic activities by creating new jobs and promoting art and cultures in the city. It is also aimed at conservation of nature.
The tourism entrepreneurs have been positive towards the Visit Year 2025, thinking that it would be an opportunity to reap benefits. Mayor Dhanraj Acharya informed they were planning to hold a special function at the end of this month or early next month to forward the tourism activities under the yearlong observance. The Pokhara Visit Year is included in PMC’s policy and programmes.
According to Acharya, the local level was at work to make the Visit Year successful. “Pokhara Visit Year, 2025 would a milestone for promotion of tourism in Pokhara city and vicinity. We’ve forwarded preparation accordingly,” he added.
As he shared, PMC has prioritized collaboration at multiple layers- local, national and international- to make the yearlong campaign successful. “Cooperation and coordination from all sides is essential to boost tourism in Pokhara,” he stressed, adding that neighbouring country China had declared 2025 as Nepal Visit Year, which would play a significant role in bolstering Nepal’s activities in tourism sector.
Similarly, chief of tourism and urban development division at PMC, Bimal Ranjan Karki, said under the Pokhara Visit Year, 2025, plans were afoot for conducting regular flights to various countries from the Pokhara International Airport, diversification of tourist activities by expanding tourism to rural level and fostering eco-tourism, and involving locals in tourism. Similarly, national and international publicity of Pokhara tourism via digital media are also planned by the local level.
PMC has set an ambitious goal of bringing in 1.5 million tourists this year. However, former vice chairman of urban planning commission at PMC and tourism strategist, Dr Ram Chandra Lamichhane, said only announcement would not suffice, but essential homework and active engagement to make the campaign a success. For the realization of Visit Year, infrastructure development, clear strategy and strong willpower are imperative, he underlined.
