Now that access is improving, tourists may start coming: Tourism entrepreneurs
POKHARA, April 13: Floods, landslides, plane crashes, and major road accidents involving tourists made 2081 BS a challenging year for Nepal's tourism sector. While the industry was working to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a series of unfortunate events throughout the year dealt it further blows. These incidents filled the year with setbacks, leaving the tourism sector burdened more by disappointment than optimism.
As 2082 BS begins on Monday, the tourism sector sees new hopes ahead. Stakeholders anticipate a rise in both domestic and international tourist arrivals compared to last year. Tourism entrepreneurs expect the industry to become more active and vibrant. They believe the challenges that clouded 2081 BS will lift with the arrival of the New Year.
As infrastructure crucial to the tourism sector continues to improve, entrepreneurs now expect better days ahead for tourism. In 2081 BS, natural disasters dealt the most damage to the industry. Floods and landslides disrupted the sector during the peak tourist season.
"Tourism stakeholders have already addressed many of the problems we faced in 2081 BS, putting them nearly on the path to resolution. That's why we expect both domestic and international tourist arrivals to rise in 2082 BS," says Bharat Raj Parajuli, a central member of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), Pokhara. "Tourism in 2081 BS remained average. The industry couldn't feel fully satisfied, but now that it's heading towards improvement, we can stay hopeful for the days ahead."
Parajuli adds that several events organized in Pokhara in 2081 BS helped energize the tourism sector. The government's decision to declare Pokhara the tourism capital last year has expanded the city's identity, he says. Additionally, Pokhara Metropolitan City has started promoting this year as Pokhara Visit Year.
Govt recommends president to issue five ordinances
"Pokhara did launch some new initiatives, but the city failed to carry out several essential tasks, which ultimately hit the tourism sector," said Parajuli. "It made little progress in making itself cleaner and more attractive or in introducing new tourism products. Still, all three tiers of government organized a few programs to promote Pokhara. These efforts provided some support, but they weren't enough."
He stated that Pokhara's tourism sector was trying to return to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic, but a series of incidents in 2081 BS disrupted that recovery. These disruptions not only reduced the number of Indian tourists, who usually travel easily to Nepal, but also slowed the flow of domestic visitors. "The year 2081 BS did not favor Indian tourists either, despite the ease of travel. Domestic tourism clearly suffered too," he said. "Even during the peak season, internal visitors did not show up as expected. Naturally, foreign tourist numbers also dropped."
Parajuli said that Pokhara failed to enhance its beauty, which is essential for attracting more tourists. "The city failed to become a clean, green destination," he said. As 2081 BS ended, he added that improvements along the Prithvi Highway-a key access route long awaited by the tourism sector-and the launch of international flights from Pokhara International Airport brought renewed optimism.
"Until 2081 BS, traveling along the highway was extremely difficult. That hardship is now starting to ease. Some infrastructure-related problems are gradually being resolved," he said. "This will make travel more convenient for both domestic and international tourists." He pointed out that the faster pace of Prithvi Highway expansion-long seen as a major obstacle to travel-has made journeys smoother. As a result, hotel occupancy in Pokhara has now risen to around 90 percent.
He also mentioned that with the commencement of Pokhara International Airport operations at the end of 2081 BS, there is optimism about increasing the number of foreign tourists from third countries in the coming year, provided its development continues at a good pace.
"Some improvements have made it easier to bring in enough tourists in 2082 BS. With better accessibility, both domestic and international tourists are likely to arrive," he said. Parajuli also pointed out that recent incidents had negatively affected not only Pokhara but also Nepal's tourism sector as a whole. However, with Pokhara increasingly focusing on promoting international tourism, he expressed optimism that the city would welcome more tourists in 2082 than it did last yeare.
Former Tourism Board member Tika Ram Sapkota stated that the tourism sector did not achieve much success in 2081 BS. Although Nepal's tourism sector improved overall after the pandemic, he believes the industry is still far from reaching full success.
Sapkota identified political instability, road access issues, air pollution, floods and landslides in Kathmandu, accidents on both air and land routes, air traffic diversion due to improvements at Tribhuvan International Airport, and increased airfares as the main causes of significant losses to the tourism sector in 2081 BS. "The main season was not good. Although some improvements are visible now, this is temporary," he said.
He also pointed out that while improvements along the Pokhara-Mugling highway have had some positive effects, the lack of progress on the Mugling-Kathmandu section prevents both domestic and international tourists from reaching Pokhara. "The Mugling-Pokhara section has improved. But until the Mugling-Kathmandu stretch improves, tourism will not benefit," he said. "This season could not generate excitement. However, the upcoming season may be better." He expressed hope that the expansion of Tribhuvan International Airport and smoother access along the highways would lead to improvements in 2082 BS.
Mani Raj Lamichhane, the Gandaki Province Chief of Nepal Tourism Board, said that the tourism sector, which had dropped to zero due to COVID-19, has now improved by about 95 percent, and he anticipates even more positive growth in tourist arrivals in the coming days. He stated that Nepal's tourism sector has significantly "revived" in 2081 BS compared to the pre-COVID situation.
Tourist arrivals from SAARC countries have increased by 6 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels. The American market has also grown by 2 percent. However, he pointed out that the Asian market still needs a 10 percent increase. The European market, however, has shown a slight decline of 2 percent.
He said, "The tourism sector has started returning to pre-COVID conditions, and we are seeing continuous improvements. There is now greater room for hope. Until last year, only Tribhuvan International Airport was operational, but with the addition of international airports in Pokhara and Bhairahawa, we are seeing signs of improvement in tourist arrivals. The expansion of the main highway is also making domestic tourism more active."
"Several incidents in 2081 BS negatively impacted the tourism sector, affecting the Indian tourism market as well. These incidents also impacted domestic tourism," he said. "When events occurred in Kathmandu, their effects were felt across the country's tourism sector. The tourism sector could not escape these challenges, but now we see a path to improvement. Infrastructure development is nearing completion, and promotion activities are underway. As a result, 2082 BS has the potential to be a positive year for tourism."