The government has announced next year as Nepal Tourism Year and is planning to bring in one million tourists to the country. The campaign will formally start in four months, but given the sorry state of the country's only international airport, the ambitious goal sounds like a big joke. I was in the airport recently on my way to Bangkok. In the check-in wing, a tourist came out of the toilet, cursing. There was no water or toilet paper in the restroom. I wondered if government officials are aware of the deplorable condition of these toilets. But apparently, high-ranking officials only pass through the VVIP room and use the toilet there. They are clearly not aware of the inhospitable conditions passengers and tourists have to tolerate. Without regulation and monitoring, things are bound to be unbearable once the expected tourists come in. Is this how Nepal Tourism Year will succeed?
