Quake-hit Nepal strives to get tourism back on track

A Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) official said that there has been only a trickle of tourists from India in May and June - the months that see large numbers visiting the Himalayan nation due to school vacations in India. About a fourth of foreign tourists in Nepal come from India.

“We have lost the regular Indian season for May and June. However, we look forward to welcoming Indian tourists during the Dussehra holidays (in October),” NTB senior manager Ujjwala Dali said.

She said a “plan for tourism recovery” has been prepared by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and the NTB would start promotional activities to get arrivals from countries such as Britain, the US, Japan and Australia, apart from the European Union, for the high season. 

“We hope to get Nepal back on the tourism map when the tourism high season begins,” Dali said.

She said that trekking tracks are opened in September and October and weather conditions are also considered pleasant by the visitors through September-November and February-April.

“In December and January there are holidays in many parts of the world and tourists come here,” she said.

Tourism is Nepal’s second-highest foreign exchange earner and is estimated to contribute about 12 percent to the country’s GDP through direct and indirect employment.

People associated with Nepal’s tourism industry said that some key heritage sites and trekking routes had been damaged in the powerful earthquake on April <g data-gr-id="36" style="display: inline; color: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; -webkit-background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAA+gAAAACCAYAAADLlPadAAAABmJLR0QA/wD/AP+gvaeTAAAAKklEQVRYhe3OQQEAIAgEsMM6xrMb9SQGny3B6vb7AQAAAFad7QAAAACQDAGHAlfrnYEmAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC), url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAACCAYAAACZgbYnAAAABmJLR0QA/wD/AP+gvaeTAAAAEklEQVQImWNY/ejYfyYGBgYGABiLA1VQQvxSAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 200% 100%, 0px 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat, no-repeat;">25</g> but there still was a lot for tourists to see and savour across the country.

“Some of the media reports about damage to infrastructure were exaggerated. The epicentre of <g data-gr-id="40" style="display: inline; color: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; -webkit-background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAA+gAAAACCAYAAADLlPadAAAABmJLR0QA/wD/AP+gvaeTAAAAKklEQVRYhe3OQQEAIAgEsMM6xrMb9SQGny3B6vb7AQAAAFad7QAAAACQDAGHAlfrnYEmAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC), url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAACCAYAAACZgbYnAAAABmJLR0QA/wD/AP+gvaeTAAAAEklEQVQImWNY/ejYfyYGBgYGABiLA1VQQvxSAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 200% 100%, 0px 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat, no-repeat;">earthquake</g> was not Kathmandu. If you go across the city, you will see that most of the new buildings do not appear to have suffered real damage. Nepal is back and we are on our feet,” Amir K. Pradhananga, resident manager at Grand Hotel here, said.

“Life is normal (now),” he added.

Over 8,500 people were killed in Nepal due to the powerful earthquake in April and another strong quake in May. As for the repeated aftershocks, Pradhananga said the locals were taking these in their stride and there was no panic.