| Biswo |
Posted
on 04-Aug-01 02:40 AM
A new decision has slapped a nominal fee for those visiting Hanuman Dhoka sites.
It is a good decision, but will surely be opposed by a section of tourism
businessmen.I just want to talk about one hotel operator in Sauraha whose
attitude as a whole represents that of most of our hotel-owners.
A few years ago, Ratna Nagar VDC(then) decided to use its govt endowed 5 lakh
for paving road that connected Tandi to Chitrasari (on way to Sauraha). I told
our chief that we should take the toll from the hotel operators whose jalopy
operates there. Rs 25 for a trip was not a big deal for the tourists or the hotel
owners. Hotel owners didn't want to pay. I one day met one of those opposers.
He told me tourists are already so few, and the extra charge would discourage
them. He was not ready to pay a single penny for driving his second world war era
Land rover in the road. I went to see his hotel later. They charged less than ten
dollars for a night of sojourn there, food included. But the service was pathetic.
The bedsheets were not cleaned regularly, and the lawn of the hotel was also not mown.
Later I told him what happens if :
1. They serve food in wickerwork plate, and dali, in stead of Shanghai made
ceramics plates? The cost would increase by Rs 20 per person per day, but that
wouldl enhance the service standard offerred. Plus that would provide employment
to several local Tharus who are still poor.
2.What happens if they change bed sheets everyday? Local laundary business will
breathe a salubrious breathe from its morbid state. Extra cost: Rs 10 Per day
per person.
3.What if they use adult locals to wash dish, and pay some charity (Rs 10 per
tourist) to local schools so that they can offer quality education to locals. Adult
locals will get the job, and younger ones will go to schools. For the welfare of
society, another extra Rs 25(Rs 10 for school, Rs 15 per day more pay for the
dish washer).
4. What if they offer new flowers to everybody ? Boost to new flower indstry in
Chitwan. ....
We sat down, and calculated the total cost increase. Not more than US$5 per
person in 3 days. But that would rejuvinate local industry. People complain
about Khate Tourists, but who will come to live in their slipshod hotel paying
hundreds of dollars? Most of the people prefer to live in a hotel which offers
better service than the one which is cheap but has nothing to offer.
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Our hotel wallas have nothing to do but demand that the government provide
everything for them. Bring tourists to their door. No visa fee, they clamored once.
No trekking fee, some operating in trekking area once cried. They are also not
ready to reimburse the government the equal amount.
Tourism industry is , and will always remain, one of our best hopes for progress.
Alas, the same people who were supposed to give boost to the industry have
become so insensitive to other social issues, that the nation never got the boost
it deserved from its valuable asset.
Experience of China should work in our country. There are no freebies in China.
Wanna go to Great wall? $5. See Summer Palace? $3. Forbidden city? $6. Even
for Chinese people, the amount is same. I once even paid to go to a monastery.
(rate mentioned above is approx)
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Bholi Gaijatraa. Wish everybody good luck.
It's kinda weird. I mean the name Gaijatra has been a synonym of mismanagement,
rather than becoming synonym of freedom of speech.We say 'what is this Gaijatra'
when something is wrong, but we don't say 'we got Gaijatra after the revolution'.
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