Nepal's tourism embraces catastrophic intervention

Welcome to the land of Everest and the most beautiful place in the world!

Nepal is with no doubt one of the best countries in the world for tourism. Walking, rails that form the main links between Nepal's, isolated villages and settlements is a unique and unforgettable experience of course the spectacular mountain scenery is a huge attraction but trekking is also a wonderful opportunity to genuinely immerse oneself in the age-old ethnic and cultural riches of Nepal as well as enjoying an insightful introduction to its amazingly diverse flora and fauna. Nepal for all its massive mountain peaks and impressive geography is actually an
incredibly fragile environment.

Not to mention that Nepal has the outstanding historical record of achieving numerous of prestigious awards in the field of tourism & hospitality. Nepal ranked second in the top country category out of the 180 countries in the Wanderlust Travel Awards 2001 as well as won Observer Travel Award 2002, the readership poll carried out by the Observer and the Guardian newspapers, well known publications of the United Kingdom. His Majesty's Government of Nepal Ministry of Tourism has always been witnessed energetic to promote the Himalayan Kingdom to its optimum level.
Destination Nepal Campaign (DNC) has been an ample instance of vigorous, constructive & relentless step taken by the department. Numerous of travel agents, tour operators, hoteliers and many related corporate have been trying their best to promote Nepalese hospitality across the world from the very core of
their heart. Nepalese are known as hospitable & generous in the world they treat tourists as god.

Nevertheless, the political turmoil, unexpected economic turbulence, lack of security and perilous situation in the country has become catastrophic intervention for the development of Nepal's tourism.
The tourism & hospitality industry in Nepal has been in abysmal of decline for past 03 years, leading to a significant increase in the numbers of businesses in
this field going bankrupt and in rotate a hefty increase in unemployment. In fact, Nepal is not only the country has been facing crux of such impediments in the field of tourism & hospitality but many of countries in the world like UK, USA, Switzerland, Belgium etc. are also experiencing catastrophic intervention of similar sorts due to the intimidation of current terrorist activities, Iraq war, affect of
SARS Virus as well as unexpected economic turbulence.

It is well known to all of us that the Europe's' largest & world's leading companies likewise British Airways had reduced the huge number of jobs, United Airlines filed bankruptcy, American Airlines, Swiss Air Group (Cross Air) and Belgian National Airlines Sabena were about to file bankruptcy but they had been offered the financial aid package of required fund for their protection by the government. On the other hand, significant numbers of airlines, tour operators, hoteliers and other related corporates in the world have been drowning in the depth of similar disastrous crisis. These are not only the reasons which impasse Nepalese tourism to be in devastating disaster but incredible & agonizing competition, existence of
salient loopholes and lacunas as prevalent into mechanisms, marketing & promotional systems and unorganised management add fuel to fire. Tourism &
hospitality industry in Nepal has been a key source of revenue to the country. The vulnerable turn of tourism and hospitality industry has affected indirectly to
many other businesses too.

Forget about the prevalent situations and circumstances: These are not only the reasons diminishing the number of tourists arrival to the Nepal, but rather things like obsolete system in marketing and promotion, lack of professionalism as
well as scarcity of qualified and skilled personnel are also the prime causes for Nepalese tourism to be in depth of crisis. "Tourists come for the adventure
tourism, the culture, the landscape, the heritage.
Indeed, these stuffs have not changed but the tastes & desires of tourists have transformed, making it essential for the industry to elevate to meet their
needs. "The average needs and desires require to be better, and the utter poor performers need to be much, much better". "The entire industry - the good, the bad and the ordinary - needs to accept that constant change and improvement are essential to meet up the demands of tourists in the future. Two decades back,
an en-suite bathroom was a luxury but today it's a necessity". In the same way, twenty years ago the services and hospitality that have been provided were
good, better and excellent but today these are not up to the scratch. That's why the range of improvements in serving hospitality and better methods in operating
travel and tours are the prime task for the tourism & hospitality industry that only can be implemented in the availability of professional, qualified and experienced personnel in the industry.

We can also proudly aver that the ceasefire carried out by Nepal Maoist is an ample instance of superior prospects for the country as well as tourism &
hospitality industry. This is the massive breakthrough initiated by His Majesty's Government as well as Nepal Maoist. It will not be hyperbole to proclaim it as a
harbinger of development. "Tourism" - depends on people being able to move liberally", where as Nepal has been declared as an unsafe state by the many
countries in the world. Therefore, it is our dire necessity to restore peace & security first in the country in a bid to revive the tourism development in Nepal. However, the state can't anticipate tourists to be "waiting all over the world" to return to Nepal as soon as it is proclaimed as a safe & sound state.
"It'll certainly take a year, and can take years too."
Many businesses are going to be in crisis and severely handicapped as there is increasing doubt that how they will operate in future". Many of them were closed or not receiving tourists at all. The industry would need support and assistance "for some time to come" from the government part such as flexible loans, lenient
legitimate rules and regulations, low rates and tax relief etc.

All these consolidated situations & circumstances of economic, social and political compel fragile Nepal's Tourism to embrace with thorny and venomous interventions. Therefore the prevalent stringent legitimate rules and regulations have to be lenient, the opportunities and facilities have to be offered to the international chain of hotels, airlines and foreign tourist offices in order to set up their offices in the country, which will certainly expand tourism in Nepal. Exorbitant cost of international marketing has been a most important hurdle to their
promotional campaigns and strategies. The contemporary technical method in marketing and promotion viz Online Marketing Consortium System (OMCS) must be introduced in a bid to diminish such blockages. Remember! This is a technology-dominant era. The communication today has made world smaller!

It is genuinely recognised that any country may face economic, political, social and circumstances of any sorts temporarily. But it is our increased responsibility to expect harbinger of fortune and be an optimistic rather than pessimistic. Let's hope this is the transient fluctuation in the field of tourism and hospitality. The stability in the field of tourism and hospitality in Nepal will be witnessed soon in
addition to that Nepal's tourism and hospitality industry will wake up in the days to come. Needless to say it will take a dynamic turn in the very near future along with that unpredictable and unbelievable numbers of employment and opportunities in the same field will be open. There is enormous potentiality for
tourism growth in Nepal if existing lacunas and drawbacks will be annihilated and the government takes the necessary vigorous and immediate steps.

BY :-  NARAYAN POKHREL.

[ Back to articles Index ]