KATHMANDU: The Visit Nepal Year 2020 would be inaugurated simultaneously from all the seven states.

The Visit Year would be kicked off on January 1, 2020 from the Dasharath Stadum in Kathmandu and at all the states. Addressing the Fifth Meeting of VNY 2020 Main Program Committee here on Wednesday, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Kumar Bhattarai said all the states shall establish offices supporting the Visit Year.

He said decision has been made to set up such offices within one week with the objective of extending support to the VNY 2020 Secretariat. On the occasion, Sudur Paschim State Government chief minister Trilochan Bhatta said the state government would do its level best to attract maximum tourists to the state by conducting various promotional programs during the Visit Year.

He called on the federal government to also coordinate with the state for making the Visit Year successful. State 3 Government minister for industry, tourism, forest and environment, Arun Prasad Nepal said they have been running programs related to tourism and conduct more such programs in coordination with the federal government.

Karnali State Government minister for tourism Nanda Singh Budha said the Karnali government has also planned various tourism promotion programs and activities to make the VNY 2020 a success. Home Ministry secretary Prem Kumar Rai underlined the need of development of physical infrastructures for making the VNY 2020 successful. Department of Immigration’s director general Ishwar Raj Poudel said a jingle on Visit Year would be played in planes for two minutes before takeoff and landing of international flights.

Chief of the Army Staff Purna Chandra Thapa said the Nepali Army will implement eight programmes targeting the VNY. Inspector General of Nepal Police Sarbendra Khanal said the security would be strengthened in relation to the Visit Year. President of Non Resident Nepalis Asociation, Kumar Panta said bicycle bad car rallies have been planned for December 31 and January 1, 2020 in 83 countries for promotion of the Visit Nepal Year.

Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) senior vice-president Shekhar Golchha asserted that the private sector was vigorously working to make the Visit Year successful. Visit Year Secretariat coordinator Suraj Baidya stressed that all Nepalis should be brought on board the Visit Nepal Year campaign. He said the Visit Year programs would be set in coordination with the local and state governments.

Baidya said all Nepalis would also be irged to visit the tourism destinations in the country, urging them for their commitment and participation in the Visit Nepal Year 2020. “We will ask all visitors to fill in the blank map of Nepal pointing out the destinations they want to visit and make them sign up. We will then urge them to visit the places they have committed to visit,” he said.