August 10, 2015 TnH Global

Nepal looks ahead to restore tourism

With the Nepal government throwing down the gauntlet to reopen all historical monuments for tourists, there is glimmer of hope and relief for the tourism industry of quake-affected Nepal, the most tourist-friendly destination.

The great Himalayan disaster that rocked Nepal has hit the tourism hard and has not only resulted in loss of human lives but has also damaged its priceless heritage structures. In an effort to restore normalcy in the country’s tourism radar, the government of Nepal has made a novel attempt to remove all debris from heritage sites and has reopened all its historical monuments from July 15 onwards.
Chandra Kumar Ghimire, Consul General of Nepal in Kolkata explained, “Our country was hit by one of the worst natural disasters that have resulted in the loss of heritage sites in Kathmandu and some trekking trails creating fear in the minds of potential travellers. Things have begun looking up and all lifelines have geared up to normalcy. The Himalayan kingdom has eight UNESCO listed World Heritage sites, of which only three sites have been affected. Out of 36 trekking trails, only two have been affected.” Ghimire was speaking at a media interaction on “Revival of Nepal’s tourism” hosted by Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) and Consulate General of Nepal in Kolkata sometime on July 4.
Nepal is regarded as the birthplace of Lord Buddha and the land of world peace. The country has 26.8 million residents living more than 101 ways of life. It is a dream destination for travellers providing authentic, wonderful holiday experience and offers the best of nature, adventure and culture.
Experts from New Zealand, Germany, Belgium and the United States have revealed that the Annapurna trekking trail has not suffered any damage. The lofty snow-capped peaks of Dhauligiri, Annapurna, Manaslu, Gaurishankar, Mt. Everest, Lhotse and Makalu have escaped from the ravages of disaster.
Ghimire said, “The best possible way to help the quake-hit country recover from the calamity is to visit the country. All national parks in the country are quite safe for tourists except Langtang National Park. Trekkers are refrained from embarking upon trekking expeditions to Langtang-Helambu and Manaslu region for a period of time. Pokhra, Chitwan National Park and Dhulikhel have not suffered any damages. All prominent heritage sites of Kathmandu valley have been thrown open for visitors except Changu Narayan temple. The eastern and western parts of the country have not been affected by tremors.” Ghimire also informed that only 10 per cent of hotel properties have been damaged. The government of Nepal has reopened the route to Kailash-Mansarovar from Nepal and has requested China to open the route from the China side.
The Himalayan country is making an effort to rebuild its lost heritage structures with the support of archaeological fund discovery. In an attempt to woo Indian travellers, Nepal Tourism Board is into organizing campaigns across Indian metros for revival of its tourism. Ghimire added, “A number of tourists from New Delhi are planning a trip to the Himalayan destination. Mumbai and New Delhi have the highest number of Indian tourist footfall to Nepal. At the same time, we are trying to spruce up the flight connectivity from Kolkata to Kathmandu by increasing the frequency of Air India.” Talks are on for Royal Nepal Airlines to resume its operation from Kolkata sometime this year.

Steps taken to restore tourism in Nepal:
•The Nepal government has cleared all debris from heritage sites.
•All historical structures have been reopened for tourists from July 15.
•All heritage landmarks of Kathmandu valley have been opened except Changu Narayan temple.
•Tourists can visit all national parks barring Langtang National Park.
•Trekkers should not plan out any trek to Langtang-Helambu and Manaslu region for sometime.
•Pokhra, Chitwan National Park and Dhulikhel are safe bets for tourists with no incidences of any damage.
•Annapurna trekking trail has not been affected by tremors.
•Royal Nepal Airlines to resume flight services in Kolkata-Kathmandu sector later this year.