SANJAYA NEUPANE
KATHMANDU, Dec 15 - Although Nepal is the only country to own eight out of 14 highest peaks of the world, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has used a peak of Peru in one of its advertising posters, designed to promote its sales overseas.
The poster, pinned up on the wall of NAC's office in New Delhi, India, incorporates a picture of Machu Picchu, one of the renowned tourist destinations of Peru and a world heritage site.
The poster, with 'Have You Visited Nepal' inscribed on top, includes pictures of two peaks in the center and the logo of NAC and a woman in namaste posture at the bottom.
Soon after it was established that picture used in NAC's poster was Peru's popular peak, the government of Peru notified NAC about the mistake and urged the state owned airline to immediately stop disseminating such misleading information.
Victor Munoz, charge d'affaires of Peruvian Embassy in India, who had come to know about the fact on Saturday had written a letter to Director General of NAC, Gautam Das Shrestha on Monday.
According to sources, a Peruvian mountaineer, Ernesto Malaga had informed about the mistake to charge d'affaires Munoz. NAC, in the meantime, has asked its offices to remove all posters with pictures of Machu Picchu. The poster was designed around two years ago when Govardan Khadka was serving as NAC's regional director in Delhi.
Published in The Kathnandu Post on December 16, 2006
Link: http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=94680
