Visit Nepal 2020: will it end in promotions only?

So here we are at the end of January, the first month of 2020 is over. By now the hype for the New Year is mostly over and you might have stopped making the mistake of writing down 2019 on the date of your notes. The promotions of Visit Nepal 2020, have been in full swing as evidently seen by everyone. There was the grand show at Dashrath Rangshala Stadium, widely broadcasted, visibly enjoyed and appreciated by everyone, no doubt. The Visit Nepal 2020 campaign logo was been used nation wise, both by corporations and individually. There are photo stands, the official Nepal 2020 mascot: the yeti has been places around the valley, so much so that one innocent even acknowledged the yeti as an idol. And need I even get started on the controversy that it is causing? Go through the article; one yeti statue is said to be around 4500$, and there are 108 Yeti statues around the valley. Can you wonder the sustainable development that could have been done with that amount?

Promotions are needed, no doubt, after all promotions will gain us attention around the world, promotions will pursue tourists to visit the nation and promotions will inform foreigners why they should visit us. But here’s a significant question: will visit Nepal 2020 only end on promotions on the nation’s end?

So this article by the Kathmandu post caught my attention the other day, and what it pointed out is in fact, true, much to our dismay. The promotions might just bring in tourists, but what about their stay here? Has there been any changes regarding the road conditions or the airport condition? To answer the question: not much. How about availability and sanitation of public toilets? Nope. How about the cleanliness of the roads? No, not much there either. Or how about the air pollution? Still there, huh? Tourists might just head out to the rural areas of Nepal, of course, but what about during their stay in the valley? Is the Visit Nepal 2020 promotions going to make much difference in their stay here?

Am I being cynical? What are your thoughts? Doesn’t more need to be done during the Visit Nepal 2020 campaign? Don’t we want make a lasting impression on tourists? Don’t we want them to keep coming back for seconds?

Comments

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