Destination Manang 2010 inauguration on Thursday

DINESH KARKI
CHAME, Manang, April 14: The formal inauguration of Destination Manang 2010 campaign will begin in district headquarters Chame from Thursday.

According to Binod Gurung, coordinator of Destination Manang 2010 and chairman of Tourism Entrepreneurs´ Association of Manang (TEAM), all preparatory arrangements for the inauguration have already been completed.
Destination Manang 2010 aims to increase national and international tourists to Manang by promoting cultural, natural, historical and geographical heritages.

Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Sharat Singh Bhandari is scheduled to inaugurate the event.

The organizers have invited famous Tibetan singer Chhiring Ghurmey for the inauguration ceremony. Gurung said Ghurmey is also performing Tibetan songs in the event.

Famous Nepali singers like Nima Rumba, Khemraj Gurung and Raju Lama together with other singers originating from Manang have arrived in Chame to perform during the inauguration ceremony.

"We will focus on domestic tourists as the international tourists coming to Manang are continually increasing over the last five years," Gurung said.

More than 17,000 foreign tourists visited Manang in 2009, according to TEAM. Destination Manang 2010 is a year-long celebration to showcase the best and most beautiful places of Manang district.

"We want to achieve the sustainable growth of tourism in Manang," Gurung told myrepublica.com.

Various programs focused on promotion of local culture and tradition, festivals, new areas like Nar and Phu Valley, Milarepa´s Cave and Tilicho Lake will be organized throughout the year, according to the organizers.

Manang is the major attraction in Round Annapurna trekking route. “Though there are some hotels along the trekking route, people have developed home stay facilities in most of the villages,” Gurung informed.

Horse racing, Padhe festival, Tilicho Lake festival, Deer festival, Nar and Phu trips are the major activities which will be organized during the year.

This program will support Nepal Tourism Year (NTY) 2011 campaign which has a target to welcome one million foreign tourists in the country. Destination Manang campaign was previously organized in 2004 and 2007.

Gurung said previous campaigns had made good impact in increasing foreign tourists to the district.
Published on 2010-04-14 21:15:35