KATHMANDU, Sept 8: Tourism entrepreneurs have said that it will take at least another five years to revive Nepal’s tourism industry.
Speaking at a virtual conference organized by the Society of Economic Journalists Nepal (SEJON) on Monday, Prachandaman Shrestha, the former Chief Executive Officer of Nepal Tourism Board, said that COVID-19 has made it difficult to bring in tourists. He said that works done by the government, private sector and other agencies should be well publicized in the international market.
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Stating that the trend in the tourism sector will change due to the pandemic. “The era of mass tourism is over now,” he said.
Shrestha stressed that Nepal can only attract tourists if we can provide service on the basis of their special interest. Innovation is a must to revive the sector, Shrestha said. According to him, fear and uncertainty have intensified.
The year 2020 is the hardest-hit year. Speakers said that even the 2015 earthquakes did not impact the industry like the pandemic this year. Shrestha said though the stimulus package for the tourism sector was introduced in current fiscal year’s monetary policy, it was not effective due to the lack of implementation.
Similarly, Yogendra Shakya said that it will take four to five years to restore the tourism sector. “The tourism industry is unlikely to improve before 2024/25,” he said, “Implementation of the stimulus package is a must.”
