A team of 15 government employees, including a secretary and two joint secretaries, are participating in possibly the first of its kind expedition on Mt Everest.
The government allocated a budget of Rs 300 million for the expedition. [break]
Speaking at a media briefing program on Tuesday, Chief Secretary Madhav Prasad Ghimire expressed hope that the expedition would be useful for civil servants to know mountaineering tourism closely. Ghimire said he was confident about the success of the expedition as the members of the expedition team showed their courage and skills by conquering Mt Yala last year.
Kishor Thapa, secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA), said the ministry was planning to take high-ranking government officials, including the chief secretary, to the Everest Base Camp before the expedition kicks off in order to encourage the expedition members.
According to conservative estimate, nearly one-fourth of the tourists visiting the country indulge in mountain activities.
“Mountain tourism plays a significant role in increase tourists´ average length of stay in Nepal,” said Lila Mani Paudel, secretary at Prime Minister Office (PMO) and the leader of the expedition.
Average length of stay of tourists was 10 days last year. Mountaineers, who stay around two months in the Himalayas, make significant contribution in extending tourists´ average length of stay.
(Photo: Bijay Gajmer)
Members of the expedition team have already received mountaineering training from Nepal Mountaineering Training Academy Development Committee. The expedition will begin on the first week of April. MoTCA has formed a committee to look after the 75-day expedition.
Paudel, along with joint secretaries Durga Prasad Bhattarai and Laxman Bhattarai and other gazetted and non-gazetted officers are participating in the expedition.
Leave tourism for civil servants on cards
Coinciding with the NTY 2011 campaign, the MoTCA is planning to introduce ´leave tourism´ for civil servants.
Speaking at a program organized to formally announce the Everest Expedition of Civil Servants, Tourism Secretary Kishor Thapa said the ministry was designing special package for leave tourism. The package is expected to encourage traveling culture among civil servants.
“The package will most likely include three-day trekking and home-stay programs. We are planning to include religious destinations as well,” Thapa added.
If the package materializes, it will benefit around 86,000 government employees. This is also expected to boost domestic tourism.
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