Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Sarat Singh Bhandari stressed the need for different stakeholders to contribute to making the Nepal Tourism Year 2011 (NTY-2011) a success.

Addressing the third meeting of the NTY-2011 main organising committee recently, Minister Bhandari said that concerted efforts needed to be made for achieving the target of the national tourism event.

He further said that facilities and services at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) should be upgraded. "The management of the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) needs to be made more efficient. We have to cash in on the revised Air Services Agreement (ASA) with India by utilizing the additional air-seat capacity," he said.

Member-secretary of the committee Prachand Man Shrestha made his presentation about the various programmes to be organised in 2011. He also reviewed the activities.

Yogendra Sakya, national coordinator of the event, shed light on the various programmes to be organised during the soft-launching of the NTY-2011 in Kathmandu on February 26 this year.

He also highlighted both opportunities and challenges of the event.

The meeting also approved the strategic plan for the NTY-2011.

The participants focussed on various problems such as strikes and bandhs, intensification of tourism promotion activities at home and abroad.

Minister of State for Tourism and Civil Aviation Shatrughna Prasad Singh, Vice-Chairman of the national Planning Commission (NPC) Dr. Yuba Raj Khatiwada, Secretaries from various ministries, the Inspector General of Nepal Police, high-level government officials, and representatives of the private sector attended the meeting.