While addressing a workshop organised by the Soaltee Crowne Plaza on Wednesday to mark Celebrate Service Week, Prachanda Man Shrestha, chief executive officer of the NTB said that the hospitality sector should adopt innovative and novel methods to welcome guests.

According to him, 65 percent of the departing tourists interviewed by the NTB said they were "very satisfied" with the country's reception while the rest said they were "satisfied".

"Nepal is losing Indian customers because of competitive marketing strategies adopted by Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka. So, both the public and private sectors should make combined efforts to promote the country's tourism," he said.

Vini K. Gupta, general manager of the Soaltee Crowne Plaza, also said that both the private and public sectors should join hands with a broader vision to make tourism sector sustainable.

"Making Nepal Tourism Year (NTY) 2011 a success will not be a difficult task if all the concerned agencies act together," he added. nepalnews.com