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EXTERNAL EVENTS |
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EXTERNAL EVENTS |
Dashed Hopes The tourism industry's
truce-driven optimism is dashed by the Iraq war and SARS scare By SANJAYA DHAKAL The truce between the government and the
Maoists had triggered hopes for revival in the sagging tourism industry. But it turned out
to be short-lived. "We were witnessing a gradual increase in bookings, but the war
and virus scare has thrown cold waters on it," said a hotelier. When the government and the rebels
announced the cease-fire on January 30, tourism entrepreneurs had heaved a collective sigh
of relief. After years of struggling to survive amid atmosphere of gloom and despondency
marked by increasing intensity of violence in the country, finally there had emerged some
signs of peace. But events outside the country are once
again threatening to pull down the tourism industry. The war in Iraq and the scare of
Severe Acute Respiratory Symptoms (SARS) virus have forced tourists not to venture out.
Consequently, tourism-dependant country like Nepal has been affected. "Indeed, the Gulf War and the virus
scare has hit at the industry. But it is still not clear how hard it has been hit,"
said a senior official at Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). "While the war in Iraq was anticipated
for some time, the virus scare came as a bolt from the blue," said Hariman Lama, a
tourism entrepreneur. In the immediate aftermath of the cease-fire, the hotels and
trekking agencies had been receiving a rising number of enquiries and bookings. "But
the two factors could mar the prospects of tourism revival," he said. But tourism entrepreneurs believe that
these two factors will be controlled shortly. In May, the country is celebrating a major
gala to observe the golden jubilee anniversary of human's first ascent to the Mount
Everest. Renowned mountaineers from all over the world are gathering in Nepal to take part
in the event. "We hope the celebration will go a long way in boosting tourism in the
country," said Nima Nuru Sherpa, vice president of Trekking Agents Association of
Nepal (TAAN). Tourism entrepreneurs believe that if there
are concrete steps towards lasting peace in the country, Nepal will observe an increased
flow in the number of tourists. "We should not compare the arrival of tourists with
last year because the year 2002 was the worst one in our history and its figures do not
reflect our true status as tourist destination country," remarked Lama. According to NTB statistics, the total
number of tourist arrivals to Nepal in 2002 had gone down by 28 per cent to 215,922,
marking a net loss of 82,534. A comparison to last year shows that third-country arrivals
could not break the negative trend in 2002, showing a decrease by 36 per cent.
Third-country arrivals had gone down by 83,963 in number. However, the Indian market had
shown signs of recovery. Indian market shows a net gain of 1429 arrivals, an increase by 2
per cent in the year. Italian Climbers In Quest To Set Records
An eight-member team of Italians,
comprising an Olympic medalist, is all set to attempt to scale the Mount Everest this
season. The team, with the slogan of "Adventure As Long As Dream", is attempting
to set two records. Manuela Di Centi, an Olympic medalist, who has won a number of
international and world titles in skiing, is eyeing to become the first Italian woman to
climb the mountain, and Fabio Meraldi, an alpine guide, is preparing to attempt the
Everest ascent and descent in 24 hours - a record time for an Italian mountaineer if
accomplished. "We are putting all our energies together to become successful,"
said Manuel Lugli, the team leader. Also called the Everest Speed Expedition, the campaign
will coincide with the golden jubilee celebration of the first human ascent of the world's
tallest mountain. "I love mountaineering. I will also show documents about Nepalese
mountains back home," said Manuela Di Centi, who is also a TV presenter in Italy. The
team expects to scale the mountain around the third week of May. |
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