National 5 (Spotlight Weekly)

Distant Recovery

Despite some improvements in the arrival number, tourism industry is engulfed in gloom

By A CORRESSPONDENT

Thai International increased its air-seat capacity and has using the larger aircraft Boeing 777, Austrian Airlines has resumed its European link with Kathmandu and Martin Air of Netherlands has also began its operation from here but Nepal’s tourism industry still seems to have to go a long way to return to its heydays in 1999.

Along with these three airlines, the two Boeing 757 of the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) are also in operation fetching tourists from destinations like Malaysia and Singapore. Following the withdrawal of Singapore Airlines, Nepal’s direct connection to South East Asian region was discontinued for a certain period of time. But, the RNAC and Qatar Airways are now operating Kathmandu-Kuala Lumpur flights twice a week.

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“The booking for the month of October is alright but we are concerned about that of November,” said Bharat Basnet, chief of Explore Nepal group and General Sales Agent of the Austrian Airlines, which flies in the Kathmandu-Vienna route.

More importantly Indian Airlines is also offering special packages to Indian tourists traveling from different parts of India supporting Nepalese efforts to bring more Indian tourists to this Himalayan Kingdom.

Before the hijacking of IC 814 flights in 1999, Nepal’s annual tourists arrival was about 500,000. In the year 2000, the tourist arrival declined by single digit. Following the Royal Massacre of June 2001 and intensification of conflict, the tourist industry has witnessed drastic slowdown.

The hijack of IC 814 flights sent a wrong signal in the Indian tourist market and Indian tourist arrival took downward trend. Along with the declining Indian tourist arrival, September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington added more trouble to Nepalese industry.

But due to sustained campaign of promotion in the past couple of months, the Indian tourist arrival increased consistently in the month of June, July and August setting new records and offering respite to the troubled tourism-related industries.

With the breakdown of the ceasefire and resumption of the violence, growing Indian tourist arrival has witnessed reversal in the trend.

Nepalese hoteliers enjoy hosting Indian tourists much more than other tourists since they are found to spend more money. “If we continue to lure the Indian tourists as per the volume of June this year, the sick hotels will feel some relief,” said a hotelier.

Because of the spread of SARS virus in China and other Southeast Asian countries, large number of tourists were diverted to Nepal. This gave relief to Nepal’s sick tourism industry. Following the outbreak of SARS, many South East Asia bound Indian tourists also came to Nepal.

“We are very frustrated to read the exaggerated news in the media. Nepalese media report is harming Nepal’s tourism industry more badly than the Maoist fighting. At a time when almost all Nepal’s web-sites are flooded with news related to the violence, how can you expect to see the number of tourists rise,” said a tourism entrepreneur.

Tourism industry relies on peace and security. As long as the country does not have peace and stability, one cannot foresee drastic increase in the arrival of number of tourists in the Himalayan Kingdom.