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Kathmandu Thursday November 01, 2001 Kartik 16, 2058.
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Welcome pact
The news report that the much- awaited and long overdue
tourism pact between Nepal and China is all set to be signed has undoubtedly generated
immense enthusiasm and optimism in the tourism sector that is currently going through
testing times. If Nepal makes it to the Approved Destination Status, this is likely to
give a boost to the country’s fragile tourism industry. Chinese tourists will then
account for a major share of the Nepali tourist market, and hopefully this will also
offset the decline recorded in Indian tourist arrivals. Our immediate neighbour China is
emerging slowly but surely as one of the major economic players in Asia and the world, and
thanks to their newfound economic clout the Chinese have started travelling abroad more.
With this vast and growing tourism market just next-door, there is indeed cause to
rejoice.
Signing the pact alone is not enough. This naturally calls
for integrated and comprehensive policies, and effective marketing strategies. Past
experience including mistakes could help those in the tourism business decide what
measures to adopt and what to reject so that the tourists will visit here more frequently,
stay longer and spend more. Over the years, tourism, the country’s major foreign
exchange earner, has suffered a lot due to a number of problems within and outside the
country. To add to these woes, the hijacking of the Indian airliner nearly two years ago
and malicious reports circulated by the Indian media damaged the reputation of Nepal as a
tourist destination. In recent months, especially after the Royal tragedy in this country,
the terrorist attacks on the US and retaliatory attacks on Afghanistan, the situation has
worsened. Given such a bleak scenario, the tourism pact between Nepal and China has
brought a glimmer of hope. But giving in to too much optimism without adopting any
strategies
for capitalizing on this golden opportunity would be bad and premature. It is also
important that the officials concerned read the fine print of the pact document and weigh
the advantages and disadvantages carefully, and settle any confusion then and there.
The pact may be a blessing on other fronts as well. Except
for some incidents of extortion and sporadic Maoist violence, the country is now by and
large peaceful. And it is to be hoped that the Maoist cease-fire will be sustained before
and after the third round of Government-Maoist talks. No matter how audacious and violent
their attacks, the Maoists have not thus far touched a single tourist. It seems to be
Maoist policy not to harm the tourists, and they are apparently well aware of the
importance of tourism to the country’s economy. But this is no cause for complacency.
Frequent chakka jams and Nepal bandhs called by the Maoist and various irresponsible
political parties have done more harm than good to this industry. Many a tourist left
Nepal with a bitter experience, not to mention the dispute over Service Charge a few
months ago. Obviously, there needs to be proper coordination among the various sectors
involved. The pact should be taken as a good opportunity for exploring new avenues of
tourism development, settling ongoing conflicts in this industry, and promoting
significantly the livelihood of the vast number of people who depend directly or
indirectly on this vital sector.
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