Tourism entrepreneurs ask govt to end NTB dispute

Tourism entrepreneurs today asked the government to make the member selection process in Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) transparent. During a meeting with the minister Lokendra Bista Magar representatives from tourism associations including HAN, NATTA, NATO, TAAN, NMA, PATA Nepal Chapter, HRA, NARA, and Reban insisted on reshuffling the current board member. We have submitted a memorandum to the tourism minister urging him to revise the member selection process of the board,” said president of Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (PATA) Pabitra Kumar Karki. “We want two representatives from the private sectors to be included in the selection committee,” he said, adding that the representatives will be selected by the entrepreneurs instead of the government. The government has selected two members from the private sector in the board but the incumbent two members went to court challenging the government decision as according to them their term has not expired. Karki also said that the tourism entrepreneurs will coordinate among themselves to request two members to resign from the disputed board. NTB consists of 11 board members, five each from the private and public sectors, as it was established under a public private partnership model. The members from the government are the permanent ones, while the members from private sector will have three years term.

Meanwhile, the dispute has delayed the chief executive selection process.