Arabian
Travel Market New Frontiers Recovery Award 2015 recognises Himalayan nation as
its tourism industry suffers second life-changing economic and humanitarian
blow in as many years
Arabian Travel
Market (ATM), the region’s leading travel industry showcase, has named Nepal as the
recipient of the New Frontiers Recovery Award 2015 at a special presentation
that was also broadcast on ARN radio, on the final day of the annual event.
Accepting the award
from Nadege Noblet-Segers, Exhibition Manager, Arabian Travel Market, on behalf
of the Nepal Tourism Board, Rishav Agarwal, Co-Owner of Kathmandu-based Nebuti
Travels, said that the industry response over the last three days at ATM had
been “incredible”, with visitors to the stand asking for detailed situation
updates and also pledging continued support.
“We are determined to get things back on
track as soon as possible, once all the debris has been cleared and areas made
safe. Despite the devastating loss of life, only around 30% of temples were
destroyed, and the majority of hotels in Kathmandu
are operational, and neither Pokhara nor Chitwan were affected,” he said.
“Our message this week is thank you to ATM
and our industry partners and friends for their magnificent support. We will
rebuild and we are confident about the future of the tourism sector in Nepal .”
“Although the original decision was made to
recognise Nepal following
last year’s Sunkoshi River landslide, which resulted in
both loss of life and loss of tourism revenues, this has obviously been
surpassed by the catastrophic events of last month,” said Noblet.
“While
it is
too early at this stage to talk about the mid to long-term prospects for
industry recovery, we know that every effort is already being made to restore a
sense of normality to local communities as well as evaluate the way forward for
the country’s tourism product and the fortitude and positive attitude of the
Nepalese people will reap results,” she added.
Now in its 11th year, the New
Frontiers Recovery Award was created in 2005 to recognise outstanding
contributions to tourism development in the face of overwhelming adversity,
supporting the chosen destination by donating exhibition space at the event to
the value of US$10,000.
Previous award recipients include Phuket,
Thailand; Cancun, Mexico; Sichuan, China; Baluchistan, Pakistan; Central
Visayas, Philippines; and Northern India.
For more
information on The New Frontiers Recovery Award, please go to www.arabiantravelmarket.com