Dilli Prasad Gautam is the Chairman of Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) Western Regional Association Pokhara. NATTA Pokhara has just concluded a six-day observation tour to Nepal’s largest Lake Rara. We have chitchatted about that trip with Gautam. Excerpts:
How was the trip to Rara that NATTA launched to promote domestic tourism in Nepal?
The effect of the tour remained very positive and fruitful too. We also held an interaction in Surkhet and discussed various factors relating to tourism promotion. Direct flights to Kathmandu and Pokhara from Surkhet and cooperation among the tourism entrepreneurs from Surkhet and Pokhara regions were the key concerns of the locals.
What was the reason that Rara was chosen as a destination of NATTA observation tour?
Pokhara always has been discussed as a tourism hub for years when it has com the matter of tourism promotion in western region but we thought differently since last year and NATTA team had visited Bardia area to promote the domestic tourism but we went for Rara this time even for celebration of Ghimphir Barsha.
There is Pokhara Tourism Council in Pokhara as an umbrella organization of tourism related institutions from this town but why did NATTA unilaterally launch this observation campaign?
We had included representatives and executives from various tourism related organizations in our touring team though the main host was NATTA. Representatives from Nepal Tourism Board and tourism travel entrepreneurs were also present in the trip. More than that, NATTA has been launching such trip since 2004 and the Rara journey was one of the segments of our series of FAM trip.
What do you think- could Rara be a one of the popular destinations for domestic tourists?
Of course; so, we also picked Rara as our destination because of the scores of inquiries that we have been facing as travel agents from domestic and international tourists every day. We actually want to know in depth about Rara and the route to that destination to design the packages too.
Is there any problem to get to Rara and accommodating in the region?
There are very few number of lodges and hotels around Rara Lake. The route is also not so smooth. There is a need of improvement on road and accommodating part. At the same time, Surkhet region can be hub for the pilgrims and tourists who want to visit to holy site Mount Kailash area.
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