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SARS boon for Nepalese tourism; Pioneer
New Delhi, June 28: Tourism is the lifeline for Nepal and its major foreign exchange earner. However, Nepalese tourism has been on a decline for the last two years because of the September 11 attacks on the United States and the Iraq war.
New Delhi, June 28: Tourism is the lifeline for Nepal and its major foreign exchange earner. However, Nepalese tourism has been on a decline for the last two years because of the September 11 attacks on the United States and the Iraq war.
It, however, received an unprecedented boost because of the SARS scare, which virtually killed the South-East Asian travel industry. The SARS epidemic, which put destinations like Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and China out of reach, brought planeloads of Indians holidayers to Nepal, giving it a boost of 30 per cent compared to the previous years. Indians are the largest single segment, over 30 per cent, as far as Nepalese tourism is concerned. The main attractions for Indians in Nepal have been shopping for goods which enter freely from China, Thailand and other South Asian destinations; and gambling in the casinos. No package for Nepal is complete without repeated visits to the casinos. However, this travel scenario has been changing. Violence against Indians in Nepal, Maoist insurgency, political uncertainty and general downturn in tourism has taken a heavy toll on tourism in that country. Not only there was a 40 per cent decline, but there was a steeper fall in earnings as the number of affluent visitors fell as compared to backpackers who continued to come. This virtually impoverished the Nepal Tourism Board, which depends for generation of funds on the cess imposed on tourism services.
While the requirement for promotion was more because of adverse circumstances, the availability of funds reduced. Under the circumstances, the reprieve offered by the SARS epidemic must be used to rework Nepal's tourism industry's priorities. The basic problem has arisen because Indians, thanks to the generous foreign exchange regime, and attractive packages being offered by Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong, are losing interest in that country. The casino business has lost its sheen and with availability of imported goods freely in India, shopping is no longer an attraction.
The problem lies in the way Nepal has been marketed. For instance, no one has suggested Nepal as the nearest cool destination, just one-and-half hour by air; and its mountains, forest reserves, springs' offering white water surfing. No one knows that Nepal has resorts like those in Shimla, Nainital and Mussoorie in abundance.
The country is also changing. For instance, one of the hotels has offered a new disco, for people to unwind instead of visiting smoke-filled casinos. Another has built an 18-hole golf course to attract the golf buffs. But, the country is still being marketed in the traditional way. No one has thought of building it as a honeymoon destination or as a hill station near north of India. It also suffers from the fact that a car holiday in Nepal is impossible because of the restrictions on the entry of vehicles. The constraints in air services add to the woes of prospective visitors to Nepal.
However, the tourism industry there is working in close collaboration with the Nepalese Government and the Indian Embassy to remove as many restrictions as possible. One hopes that the constraints on air connectivity will disappear soon with the entry of private airlines besides the services provided by the Royal Nepal Airlines and the Indian Airlines. Efforts are also being made to make road travel easier.
One of the bright spots is the relaxed atmosphere of Nepal as far as excise laws are concerned. Alcohol is easily available and one can even have his pick from the nearest pan shop or a well stocked bar. One hopes that the Nepalese Tourism industry will be able to reinvent itself to meet the new challenges to attract visitors. It should build itself as a group of mountain resorts with many attractions instead of just shopping centres or casinos. This should not be difficult. Another positive sign is that the Indian tourism industry, led by the Northern Chapter of Travel Agents Association of India, and the Nepalese tourism bodies have joined hands to promote Nepal.
Nepal is easy to reach and a visa is not needed. Indian currency is easily acceptable there. Also, life there is back to normal with a truce between the Government and the Maoists. Tourists no longer need to rush to their hotels in the evening, as the streets have become safe after dark. Even Maoists have declared that no harm will come to tourists there.
It, however, received an unprecedented boost because of the SARS scare, which virtually killed the South-East Asian travel industry. The SARS epidemic, which put destinations like Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and China out of reach, brought planeloads of Indians holidayers to Nepal, giving it a boost of 30 per cent compared to the previous years. Indians are the largest single segment, over 30 per cent, as far as Nepalese tourism is concerned. The main attractions for Indians in Nepal have been shopping for goods which enter freely from China, Thailand and other South Asian destinations; and gambling in the casinos. No package for Nepal is complete without repeated visits to the casinos. However, this travel scenario has been changing. Violence against Indians in Nepal, Maoist insurgency, political uncertainty and general downturn in tourism has taken a heavy toll on tourism in that country. Not only there was a 40 per cent decline, but there was a steeper fall in earnings as the number of affluent visitors fell as compared to backpackers who continued to come. This virtually impoverished the Nepal Tourism Board, which depends for generation of funds on the cess imposed on tourism services.
While the requirement for promotion was more because of adverse circumstances, the availability of funds reduced. Under the circumstances, the reprieve offered by the SARS epidemic must be used to rework Nepal's tourism industry's priorities. The basic problem has arisen because Indians, thanks to the generous foreign exchange regime, and attractive packages being offered by Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong, are losing interest in that country. The casino business has lost its sheen and with availability of imported goods freely in India, shopping is no longer an attraction.
The problem lies in the way Nepal has been marketed. For instance, no one has suggested Nepal as the nearest cool destination, just one-and-half hour by air; and its mountains, forest reserves, springs' offering white water surfing. No one knows that Nepal has resorts like those in Shimla, Nainital and Mussoorie in abundance.
The country is also changing. For instance, one of the hotels has offered a new disco, for people to unwind instead of visiting smoke-filled casinos. Another has built an 18-hole golf course to attract the golf buffs. But, the country is still being marketed in the traditional way. No one has thought of building it as a honeymoon destination or as a hill station near north of India. It also suffers from the fact that a car holiday in Nepal is impossible because of the restrictions on the entry of vehicles. The constraints in air services add to the woes of prospective visitors to Nepal.
However, the tourism industry there is working in close collaboration with the Nepalese Government and the Indian Embassy to remove as many restrictions as possible. One hopes that the constraints on air connectivity will disappear soon with the entry of private airlines besides the services provided by the Royal Nepal Airlines and the Indian Airlines. Efforts are also being made to make road travel easier.
One of the bright spots is the relaxed atmosphere of Nepal as far as excise laws are concerned. Alcohol is easily available and one can even have his pick from the nearest pan shop or a well stocked bar. One hopes that the Nepalese Tourism industry will be able to reinvent itself to meet the new challenges to attract visitors. It should build itself as a group of mountain resorts with many attractions instead of just shopping centres or casinos. This should not be difficult. Another positive sign is that the Indian tourism industry, led by the Northern Chapter of Travel Agents Association of India, and the Nepalese tourism bodies have joined hands to promote Nepal.
Nepal is easy to reach and a visa is not needed. Indian currency is easily acceptable there. Also, life there is back to normal with a truce between the Government and the Maoists. Tourists no longer need to rush to their hotels in the evening, as the streets have become safe after dark. Even Maoists have declared that no harm will come to tourists there.