35 days trekking guide training completed

KATHMANDU, Feb 26: A 35-day free trekking guide training organized for women in Kathmandu with the support of Sustainable Tourism for Livelihood Recovery Project (STLRP) and Nepal Mountain Academy (NMA) jointly operate by Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and United Nations Development Program UNDP has been completed. 112 trainees from 25 districts of all seven provinces participated in the training.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nepal Tourism Board and the national director of the project Dr. Dhananjaya Regmi expressed his belief that the training will help to reduce the shortage of manpower in the tourism sector. There is still a shortage of skilled manpower in tourism. Female participation is even less. In this situation, if women can be trained, we expect that women's participation in the tourism sector will increase as well. In addition, this will create employment opportunities as well as self-employment.'' he said.

Likewise, Kalpana Sarkar, portfolio manager of UNDP Nepal, said that the training will increase the participation of women in the tourism sector. He also said that such training can be conducted in collaboration with the board in the future as well. On that occasion, Maniraj Lamichhane, Director of Nepal Tourism Board and National Program Coordinator of the project informed that theoretical and practical classes have been conducted to make the training practical. Similarly, the executive director of Nepal Mountaineering Academy (NMA) Rudraprasad Chapagain said that this training is expected to increase the participation of women in tourism and also contribute to employment. Shiva Adhikari, President of Nepal Association of Rafting Agencies (NARA), said that the training organized will help in the development of the people in the tourism sector.

Dharam Dawadi, Sustainable Tourism for Livelihood Recovery Project(STLRP) informed that since the number of people who want to participate in the training was large, the participants were selected through interviews and the training was completed in two stages. On the occasion of the event, a resource book related to the Taking Guide was also released. Himal Pandit, a trainer of Nepal Mountaineering Academy  (NMA), informed that the resource book is helpful for those who work and study in the field of taking. It includes general tourism information on trekking including a combination of theoretical and practical topics, geography and geography of the country, environment, history of Nepali religion, intercultural tourism behavior, trekking and mountain climbing, safety and security in trekking, risks are mentioned.