Fairfield Marriott Hotel to Start Operation from Mar/April 2016
The four-star American chain hotel, Fairfield Marriott which is being built at the tourist hub of Thamel in the capital will commence operation from Mar/April 2016. “The hotel will start its services from Mar/Apr next year,” said Shashikant Agrawal, managing director of MS Group, the Nepali partner of the project. 

The hotel is being built with an investment of around Rs 1 billion, including loan investment from The World Bank and Nepal Investment Bank. Earlier, the hotel was expected to be operational from November this year. “But things got delayed because of the earthquake, and recently, the unofficial blockade by India,” said Agrawal.  

Agrawal added that investment in Nepal’s tourism sector was rising until the earthquake. “If the current political situation settles down and the constitution comes into implementation, it will again create the environment for investment in the country’s tourism sector. Other international hotel chains, too, are interested in investing in Nepal,” said Agrawal. 

The under-construction hotel sprawls in an area of two and a half ropanis of land and will have 111 rooms. Under SM Group, a five-star hotel of Marriott is under construction at Naxal, Kathmandu.

Fly Dubai Felicatates its Travel Partner 
Budget airline Fly Dubai organized a seminar participated by its main travel agents and partners recently in Kathmandu. Speaking at the program Fly Dubai Commercial Senior Vice President Sudhir Sreedharan said that Fly Dubai started its service in Nepal from 2009 and the flight demand has been increasing with time. He also thanked Fly Dubai’s partners for helping them at the hard time following the earthquake. At the program, 10 outstanding travel agents were felicitated and awarded certificates. Fly Dubai makes four Kathmandu-Dubai flights daily.

Hyatt Highest Foreign Currency Earner Among Hotels
The government has awarded Hyatt Regency, Kathmandu as the highest foreign currency earner in Nepal’s hotel sector in fiscal year 2014/15.

 The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation awarded the five-star hotel for its efforts towards enhancing and developing Nepal’s tourism infrastructure, as well as for the hotel’s private sector participation in earning the highest foreign currency within the country’s hotel sector during 2014-15, said a press release issued by the hotel. 

The hotel was presented with a letter of appreciation on the occasion of the 36th World Tourism Day. The hotel also said that the government anticipates that Hyatt Regency will contribute to further development of tourism in the future as it lends its professional experience to the sector.

 “It is a very proud moment for us earning this award in the hotel sector,” said General Manager Sinead O’Reilly-Henell. “We will continue to work towards improving the hospitality industry by providing authentic hospitality to our guests, a value Hyatt Hotels Corporation firmly follows.”

Tara Airlines to Phase All Old Aircraft by 2016
Tara Airlines, a sister organization of Yeti Airlines, is going to phase out its three old DHC6/300 aircraft by 2016. Tara Airlines that introduced two modern twin otter series 400 a few months ago is preparing to add three more aircraft by that time, according to Tara Airlines Ground Handling and Media Manager, Bhim Raj Rai.

 “Tara Airlines will phase out old aircraft by 2016 and we are doing homework on that,” said Rai, adding “We are displacing old aircraft to provide our passenger with modern service and to manage the company better.” According to Rai, Tara Airlines will add 3 more aircraft of 400 series from a Canadian company by 2015. “If everything goes well, till that time we will add three more aircraft,” said Rai.  

Tara Airlines is working in coordination with ‘Great Himalayan Trail’ (GHT) to promote rural tourism in Nepal. “We fly to the rural areas of the country and that is how we are promoting adventure tourism in coordination with GHT,” said Rai. For providing aerial service to the rural areas, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has already declared Tara Airlines as an outstanding airline.