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Maoist-hit Nepal tourism tries diplomatic 'immunity'
Kathmandu, May 18 (IANS) Nepal has roped in top British and French diplomats in its efforts to revive the tourism industry hit by nine years of Maoist insurgency and the recent three-month state of emergency.
The Nepal Tourism Board, the nodal agency for promoting tourism, had earlier courted renowned mountaineers like Sir Edmund Hillary and Reinhold Messner to promote the country as a mountaineers' paradise.
This month, it made British Ambassador to Nepal Keith George Bloomfield and his French counterpart Michel Jolivet - both trekking enthusiasts - as "brand ambassadors".
Bloomfield last month went trekking in the remote northern Manang district while Jolivet toured the Khumbu region, regarded the gateway to the Himalayas. The diplomats were invited to describe their adventures in a bid to assure visitors that Nepal is still a safe destination.
Jolivet's trek earlier hit the headlines with one daily saying that if the French ambassador could go trekking, anybody could.
The diplomats say no Maoists marred their vacation, the scenery was spectacular and the infrastructure adequate. The French ambassador is even planning to have his holiday experience posted on his government's website to reassure French tourists.
Amid these endorsements, the European Union (EU) this week issued a statement saying multi-party democracy must be an "essential part of any acceptable and sustainable resolution of the current conflict" in Nepal.
The EU has also urged both the government and the Maoists to respect human rights.
While the British envoy personally recommends a visit to Khumbu, his government says there is a "high threat from terrorism in Nepal".
In its travel and security advice updated this month, the British embassy in Kathmandu warned tourists and visitors to avoid two posh hotels - the five-star Soaltee Crowne Plaza in Kathmandu and the Fishtail Lodge in Pokhara city - following Maoist threats to close down the two.
The security advice also says two Russians were injured last month when the outlaws hurled grenades at their car on the Araniko highway, east of Kathmandu. The same day a civilian bus hit a landmine, killing three people and injuring over 20.
"Road travel in general carries risk," the embassy said. "Remotely detonated bombs have been laid in some areas and have injured tourists."
"If you decide to travel to Nepal or are currently in Nepal, we advise extreme caution and vigilance throughout your visit. There is a high threat from terrorism in Nepal. In recent months Maoist rebels have carried out a large number of attacks, including bombings and shootings, including in areas frequented by foreigners. Tourists have been caught up in some of these attacks, although none have been seriously injured."
Nepal's government tends to blame the media for lack of visitors, saying negative reporting keeps them away.
Courtesy Indo-Asian News Service
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