March 17: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has declared Pokhara as the Tourism Capital of Nepal. He made this announcement amidst a function organised at Barahighat, near the Phewa Lake in Kaski on Sunday. Prior to this, the Prime Minister unveiled a logo and memorial pillar relating to the tourism capital.    

On the occasion,  the Pokhara Tourism Council (PTC) submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Dahal , urging the government to start international flights from Pokhara Regional International Airport.    
A delegation led by PTC Chairperson Pom Narayan Shrestha handed over the memorandum.  PTC has drawn the attention of the government citing that the major roadways connecting Pokhara were in dire condition and the international flights from Pokhara International Airport have not been regular even after more than one year since the airport came into operation.

The council has called for starting international flights to and from Pokhara at the earliest.    
The memorandum states that the tourism entrepreneurs had to face crisis one after the other since some years. Stating that their investment is at risk due to the slump in the economy and declining employment opportunities, PTC, through the memorandum, called for providing motivation and time to the tourism entrepreneurs to pay back the loan.    
The council also demanded restructuring of the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and ensuring the representation of Pokhara on the NTB Executive Board Member that is currently lying vacant.    
The Council has urged the government to start international flights from Pokhara International Airport with the aircraft of Nepal Airlines itself in the initial phase and then to encourage other airlines by providing them with incentive packages.    
The PTC also mentioned in the memo that the prohibition on individual paragliding has demoralized the paragliding adventure sports players. It may be recalled here that the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) had banned individual paragliding after a paragliding accident in course of the Ninth National Paragliding Competition last year. -- RSS