Inviting northerners

The tourism pact signed between Nepal and China in Kathmandu a few days ago is likely to bring about dramatic change in the tourism sector, apart from strengthening cultural ties between the two countries. Finally, both countries have realized their inherent cultural identities and prospects of developing the tourism industry, and officially acknowledged it by signing a memorandum of understanding. The pact is indeed a major breakthrough, especially when the tourism industry is going through turbulent times. Nepal has become the first country in South Asia to be enlisted by China as its outbound tourist destination. So far, China has given such status to only twelve countries. As Nepal is a socio-cultural bridge between India and China, it can be an attractive destination for the Chinese tourists. This pact will also offset the decline in the Indian tourist arrival. The arrival of Indian tourists has declined since the hijacking of Indian airliner and after Delhi suspended its regular flight operation between the two countries for seven months. But even after the resumption of Indian Airlines flights, the number of tourists has continued to decline, particularly after the Royal massacre and the September 11 attack in the US. Given such a bleak scenario, the tourism pact has indeed raised some hope. Nepal cannot just count on the Indian tourists, and it is time to look for other promising and growing markets.

The arrival of Chinese tourists will increase, but it is too early to expect them to make a significant impact on our economy. Chinese tourists will certainly find Nepal a fascinating and unique destination. In fact China has contributed a lot to the economic development of this country. The bilateral trade stood at over 14 billion rupees in 2000. China has been emerging as a major economic power since the opening-up of the Chinese economy. This means we have a vast and rich market just next door. But this cannot be taken for granted. Those in this business have to formulate a comprehensive long-term plan and launch vigorous campaigns to attract a vast number of Chinese tourists. The signing up of a pact has also provided an opportunity for exploring various avenues of tourism. Nepal maintained over ten percent of tourism growth for almost three years, but due to a number of problems both within and outside the country, the tourism sector has suffered much in recent years. The arrival of foreign tourists increased after the country observed Visit Nepal Year. Had the hijacking of Indian Airliner not taken place, the country would have witnessed a sea change in the tourism sector. The declaration of State of Emergency may adversely affect the tourism industry again, and hopefully things will be better after the country returns to normalcy.