NEPAL: Tourism Suffering From After Effects Of Last Year’s Earthquakes Border blockade

Nepal’s tourism is still reeling from the aftereffects of last year’s twin disasters: first the earthquakes and then the five months of the border blockade. Hotel booking in the paradise city of Pokhara at this peak season has been around 30 percent, the same as last year. Before last year, the normal booking rate in the peak season was around 60 percent. Now Nepali tourism has received yet another blow, this time in the form of the heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the terror attack on Uri in the Indian-administered Kashmir.

Even the few tourists who were determined to visit Nepal despite last year’s hardships are now cancelling their hotel and travel bookings in Nepal citing ‘security reasons’. This is not surprising because up to 60 percent third-country tourists to Nepal come via India. The collapse in tourist numbers this year is a cruel reminder of Nepal’s vulnerability as an effectively ‘India-locked’ country. Many European and American tourists would still visit Nepal, which, after all, has nothing to do with the simmering Indo-Pak tensions, if Nepal had direct flights to major European, and even American, destinations.

But lack of flights to these destinations is not the only problem. Compared to Nepal, India is a humongous market for foreign tourists. According to the World Bank, while 790,000 foreign tourists spent US $665 million in Nepal in 2014, in India, 7.6 million tourists spent $17, 493 million in the same year. So it is not surprising that many European and American tourists will look to make India, with its incredible wealth of tourist sites, their primary tourist destination in South Asia, from where they then can fan out to other South Asian destinations, including Nepal.

If Indo-Pakistan tensions continue to flare, and there are no indications that they will cool down anytime soon, then Indian tourism will also receive a severe jolt. This is the reason we have been calling on our tourism authorities to also start focusing on non-Western markets, China chiefly. In 2015 alone 120 million Chinese travelled abroad, spending US $105 billion in the process. The way we see it, if even one percent of these outbound Chinese tourists could be persuaded to come here, the tourism sector in Nepal would get a big fillip. That will also ease Nepal’s excessive reliance on Western markets for tourists.

More than that, the regional impact of any Indo-Pak tensions is a reason why this newspaper would like to see a stronger and more active SAARC. As it is there are enough problems that call for a pan-regional outlook and a high level of coordination among the eight SAARC member states: problems like climate change, terrorism, and entrenched pockets of poverty, which is also linked with lack of connectivity.

This is especially true for the seven countries in the Indian subcontinent (bar Afghanistan, which is also a member of SAARC). Due to their close economic and societal links, the problems in one country sooner or later spill over into another. Like it or not, SAARC right now is the only platform which has the potential to transform the region into a vibrant economic hub and establish the whole of South Asia as an attractive tourist destination.

We can either all prosper together or sink in the same doomed ship. So SAARC must be saved at all cost. Meanwhile, we hope that the new Nepali ambassador to China, Leela Mani Paudyal, a competent China hand, can persuade the Chinese government to encourage more of its citizens to visit the beautiful, and very affordable, Nepal.

NEPAL: Resilient Nepal Awaits Return Of Tourists

The exuberance of Tracy and many other trekkers like her that have started arriving in Kathmandu are a clear indication back that after being hit by a devastating earthquake on April 25, a resilient Nepal is steadily and firmly trudging back to normalcy.

Buying essential stuff from a shop in Thamel in Kathmandu, Tracy Austin, a young traveller from Australia, was readying to go for adventure climbing when dna caught up with her. "I learnt on the Internet that Nepal has put things back in shape and conducting adventures treks and climbing. I thought to give it a try and things are looking pretty great here. I am on for a climbing expedition to Island Peak, Lobuche East and Pokalde with my two friends in a couple of days," she said.

The exuberance of Tracy and many other trekkers like her that have started arriving in Kathmandu are a clear indication back that after being hit by a devastating earthquake on April 25, a resilient Nepal is steadily and firmly trudging back to normalcy. "After hitting a massive dip in tourist inflow after the earthquake, we have touched 60% of tourist arrivals in August this year when compared to August 2014. And hope to bring the figure to 100% or more in 2016," director general of department of tourism said.

Many Nepalese tour operators give credit to Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), a no-profit organisation, for the quick revival of tourism in Nepal. Soon after the earthquake PATA assessed the situation in Nepal and made Tourism Rapid Recovery Taskforce- Report and Recommendations to Nepal government in on 21 June, 2015.
"The report revolved around source market campaigns, organising international events, upgrading the level of services. It seems it has started paying dividends," said Suman Pandey, chairman of PATA - Nepal chapter who also heads a travel and adventure firm.

One of such events was the India-Nepal Folk Crafts Festival organized jointly by Ministry of Textiles, Government of India in association with South Asia Foundation from September 23-28, 2015 in Kathmandu. This event was an exhibition-cum-sale of craft products by artisans from India and Nepal where brand "Khadi Nepal" was launched by India ambassador, Ranjit Rae.

India tourists who contribute nearly 25% to Nepal's tourist traffic especially in pilgrim circuit of Pashupatinath, Bhaktapur and temples in Janakpur etc. is also showing signs of revival but their inflow is still to be matched with Western and Chinese tourists. "The Indians tourists were picking up. But because of the current standoff the numbers have again reduced to a trickle. We hope it ends soon," said Krishna Chhetri, a travel agent dealing in pilgrimage circuit.

Several travel and tourism firms and shops selling adventure equipment and essentials have also started feeling the crunch. "The blockade at the India-Nepal border has impacting our business. There is a sudden dip in tourist inflow," said Narendra Tamang who deals in adventure essentials.

According to Nepalese government officials, fuel stocks in Nepal have gone low with 9 days of petrol and 15 days of diesel left. The government has ordered maximum 3 litre supply to two wheelers per week, 10 litre to four wheelers per week and 40 litres of diesel supply to buses per week. "Fuel shortage will obstruct Nepal's tourism recovery process that was built up with a lot of effort. We earnestly request the two governments to resolve the blockade and pave way for Nepal's recovery," said Pandey.