National 6 (Spotlight Weekly)

Looming Threat

With the deadlock in the peace process, the tourism industry's hope for revival is crushed

By A CORRESSPONDENT

Just as the booking for the forthcoming tourism season was about to begin, the uncertainty over the resumption of peace talks has sent a bad message to the international tourism markets. If the impasse in the talks continues, Nepal's tourism sector will have to face another year of recession.

Following the hijack of Indian Airlines plane and Royal massacre and the intensification of Maoist insurgency, Nepalese tourism industry was badly battered. From small trekking industries to restaurants and star/non-star hotels, all sectors of tourism have been hit.

Tourists : Will they come back?

After the ceasefire in January, Nepalese tourism industries had heaved a sigh of relief this summer. The slight improvement in the arrival volume of Indian tourists gave some fillip to the sagging industry. But the honeymoon seems to be brief. "If this uncertainty persists, the country's tourism will badly suffer," said Hari Man Lama, chief executive of Incentive Tours and Sansui Treks.

Meanwhile, as the star hotels are offering package trips to tourists from India and other nations, the non-star hotels and restaurants in Thamel area are facing a tough time. At a time when the valley's air pollution continues to deteriorate, tourists prefer to go on trekking.

Since the Maoist insurgents have already created trouble in many trekking routes, the trekking operators are also under pressure. "We are in a very difficult position as the country's political instability has already tagged Nepal as a uncertain place," said a tourism entrepreneur. "Be it the Maoist party or any other mainstream political parties, their modus operandi is not different as far as tourism sector is concerned. They all create instability announcing bandhs and strikes and carry out destructive activities."

With the spread of SARS virus in the South East Asian countries, the tourism arrival did increase slightly in South Asia and other SARS-free regions. Particularly, the Indian tourists opted to visit Nepal during the SARS outbreak. Likewise, opening up of the Mansarovar region in June for tourists also helped the ailing Nepalese tourism industry.

According to tourist entrepreneurs, annually between10, 000 to 15,000 tourists visits to Tibet from Nepal including many Indian tourists.

The arrival of the tourists in June had increased by 29 percent compared to the same period last year. Although the tourist arrivals increased in June and July, the current development has raised doubts whether enough of them will come in the next season beginning September. As long as the country does not have lasting peace and political stability, the tourism industry will perennially suffer.

At a time when the country is facing severe crisis, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has organized several promotional activities encouraging foreign tourists to visit Nepal.

Thanks to the promotional activities of NTB, the arrival of Indian tourists increased in June compared to the arrival in the same month of previous year but tourist arrival from Europe, the USA and Australia is yet to improve.

However, just when the tourism was beginning to look set to rebound, the worsening political impasse is certain to send wrong signals, which will affect the booking of tourists for the upcoming season.