Much has been written about the fragile nature of Nepal's tourism industry. And recent events have been responsible for much caution and pessimism. But there's hope in one sector of the hospitality business which has been growing steadily, and promises to help break the seasonality cycle in arrivals. If all goes well, Nepal could be bursting at the seams with convention tourists.

It is beginning to happen already. The Birendra International Convention Centre (BICC) is hosting a large conference of educators later this year. Education International (EI)-the Brussels-based global union for the teaching profession-is having its Third World Congress 25-29 July. The House of Rajkarnikar is helping organise the mega-event, including an Education Exchange Exhibition at the venue. Over 350 delegates from the EI from 150 countries are expected to attend. In addition there will also be representatives of EI's partners, and observers.

A convention of this scale would bring in more guests during the peak monsoon, when western tourists barely trickle in. Traditionally, Indian tourists fill Nepal's hotels in the summer but their numbers are also dwindling. The EI conference will have on-site catering, which means those in the business will have something more to do than just serve food at weddings and bratavandas. Travel agents and taxi drivers will get more business, mountain flights more passengers and some groups may even decide to extend their stay to sneak out to Pokhara or Dhulikhel-increasing tourist receipts and spreading money around.

Nepal's tourism industry, which has been in a tailspin since late-1999, could definitely use more of such events. And though large conventions are still rare, they could well emerge as a new "product" to help Nepal diversify and sell more than just adventure and culture. "Adventure does not bring in the top dollar, conventions can get us people who expect quality and spend more," says Subodh Rana, president of the Nepal Incentive and Convention Association (NICA). Adventure serves a purpose, it takes tourism income to villages. "But big money is in meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE)," he adds.

Nepal has some distinct advantages over its South Asian neighbours for going the MICE way. Now with the Lauda 767, even Royal Nepal has adequate seats for flying people in, not to mention direct connections provided by other airlines such as Transavia, Austrian, Qatar and Gulf that fly in from Europe and West Asia. There are roughly 20,000 air seats available each week. Connections in East Asia are also well served by Royal Nepal, Singapore and Thai, among others. Nepal has regional connections and also simpler visa formalities.

Nepal's new and still reasonably well-kept convention venue, BICC, has the capacity to host a Non-Aligned Movement-sized summit. In addition, major hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara have facilities comparable to any city in the region. "The gap is our inability to go out in a big way to get MICE travellers," says Rana. NICA is an association of about 20 major hotels, airlines and travel agents. The Nepal Tourism Board acknowledges the potential of MICE but has yet to focus marketing on this "new" product though it has supported NICA participation in promotion. "We'll begin to make MICE presentations to Indian corporates this month," says Mohan Bahadur Parsai, a manager at NTB. "We're already doing a little to spread the word."

What Nepal offers to incentive travellers-quick treks, rafting trips, or mountain flights-has no regional parallel. But most importantly, costs are low and a convention here can be many times cheaper than in India, especially if held in the low-tourism season. MICE could be the first product since RD Tuttle's IRs555 package that helped to attack the seasonality factor head on. Our tourists come mainly September to late-April, and the slack sets in from May . "This is when we need tourists the most," says NICA's Rana. "The low rates will also benefit companies granting travel incentives to employees or conference 'budget' organisers."

Most top hotels are now getting ready to accommodate conference groups. Shridhar Acharya, Managing Director of the Godavari Village Resort, an upmarket property 14 km south of Kathmandu, says: "We had on an average one conference a day last year. This year also looks good, but all depends on how we deal with issues like the hotel strike and security." Godavari's proximity to the city gives it a distinct advantage. "Our clients commend us for the relative isolation and tranquillity," says Janaki Shah, executive director. Just in case some guests may be unhappy for not being able to shop and unwind, the hotel provides a free shuttle service to come to town. It is this upswing in the conferencing market that explains why even a "village" resort has four "function rooms", with capacities ranging from 20-180 persons theatre-style, and facilities that compare with any 5-star hotel.

There was a time when the Bluestar Hotel in Thapathali was the venue for most of Kathmandu's seminars and conferences. It has six meeting and exhibition halls and its offspring, Bluebird Pokhara, also has similar capacity. But competition is closing in. Large hotels like the Yak & Yeti have added new facilities and even smaller ones like Narayani in Pulchowk have added the function rooms. The BICC can seat up to 1,044 persons at its main hall and gallery (generally for observers), and has four smaller meeting rooms that can take between 50-100 people. BICC also has capability to offer simultaneous translation into six languages.

The facilities at big hotels are getting bigger. Soaltee's Megha and Malhar rooms can seat about 380 classroom-style and accommodate 1,000 for cocktails. The Lal Durbar Convention Centre's Regal I & II at Yak & Yeti can accommodate 950 for cocktails and 360 in classroom-style seating. Radisson's largest hall can accommodate 800 for cocktails. The brand-new Hyatt Regency also has similar facilities.

With so many places to choose from, organisers who do their rounds can get the best deals. Generally, hotels don't charge for space if meals are to be served. They also offer corporate discounts on room tariffs if conferences are organised in the same hotel. It is this competition that has forced almost every hotel worth its name to build meeting rooms.