Rs 1.2 b plan to develop Myagdi as a tourism hub

MYAGDI, Aug 31: Myagdi has come up with a master plan as to develop the scenic hilly district into a popular tourism destination.



The master plan outlines a total estimated cost of Rs 1.2 billion to develop the infrastructure of the district, which has a high potential to be a perfect tourist destination.

The district is not just rich in natural resources, but also teems with cultural, religious and social heritages -- but remains largely overshadowed due to the lack of adequate infrastructure and promotion. [break]



The master plan jointly developed by the District Development Committee, Tara Village Development Committee and Todke Region Development Fund under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has included 41 Village Development Committee (VDC).Prem Sharma, the coordinator of the master plan development team, said that there is a high chance of attracting tourists in the district by mobilizing the available resources.



“We have short-term as well as long-term plans to develop Ghodepani, Dhaulagiri and Annapurna regions as major tourist destinations and Pulashram, Galeswor, Jagganath and Khayer Barah area as religious destination,” said Sharma.



According to Bishnu Prasad Sharma, the local development officer (LDO), the 400-page master plan aims to enhance the quality of four existing trekking routes, develop ten more trekking routes, and establish information centers at Beni, Ghodepani and Tatopani to assist tourists.



“We aim to develop Myagdi as the main tourism destination of western region. We will be investing the royalty received from tourism starting from this fiscal year for the proposed development,” said LDO Sharma.



The DDC stated that creating Myagdi as a ´tourism hub´ will help reduce poverty, discourage foreign employment and create ´one home one employee´ environment in the district itself.

“Tourist arrival can be increased in Myagdi only by developing trekking routes and hotels, and hence the plan has given more priority to these sectors,” said Rupendra Bardoj Thapa, a member of the master plan study committee.

Currently around 50,000 tourists visit Myagdi a year.

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