Nepal doubles its tourism service fee

Nepal, a major destination for global travellers, has doubled its tourism
service fee to Rs 1,000 from March 1, citing price rise in the
international market and devaluation of local currency.

“Over the last few years, the price rise in the international
market coupled with the devaluation of Nepalese currency and stiff
competition among destinations, for their presence in the international
tourism market, has made it difficult for Nepal Tourism Board to fare
well in the international promotion,” an NTB statement said.

“So, it has become inevitable for Nepal Tourism Board to
increase TSF to meet the expectation of Nepalese tourism industry and to
cope with the paradigm shift in the international tourism promotion and
marketing,” it said.

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has revised the tourism service fee after a gap of nine years.

The Tourism Service Fee (TSF) has been revised from Rs 500 to
Rs 1,000 (excluding VAT) effective from March 1, the statement said.

The TSF will be levied on the outgoing foreign travellers departing from all airports in Nepal, the statement said.

However, it will be implemented only from Tribhuvan International Airport for the time being, according to officials.

Revenue generated from TSF will be utilised for promoting
domestic as well as international tourism, Acting Chief Executive
Officer, NTB, Subhash Niraula said.

“It would enable the Nepal Tourism Board to focus more on
international promotion and domestic tourism development,” Niraula said.

With a bigger budget, Nepal Tourism Board will now prepare and
implement a five-year plan to penetrate the market that has been
unexplored before, he said.

According to a Nepal Tourism Board report, a total of 12,639
Indian visitors had arrived in Nepal by air in July last year, 15.74 per
cent less than the 15,000 Indians who had arrived in 2012.

The total number of foreign tourists visiting the country last
year registered a negligible growth of 0.28 per cent, the report said.

A total of 38,560 foreign tourists visited Nepal in July last
year by air compared to 38,453 visitors in the same month in 2012.