The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) said arrivals from North America and Europe declined by around 13 percent and 19 percent, respectively. A total of 7,940 American and Canadian travelers visited Nepal in the first three months of 2009, compared with 9,084 for last year, while arrivals from Europe stood at 23,252, compared with 28,659 for last year. North America and Europe, where consumers are cutting down on spending and travel plans, are the two markets that have been the worst hit by the economic crisis.
Arrivals from Asia also registered negative growth in the review period. The number of Indian visitors coming to Nepal went down by 16 percent, to 16,910. Indian visitors make up the largest chunk of travelers coming to Nepal. The number of Japanese and Chinese tourists coming to the country also fell by 21 percent and six percent, respectively.
As the gloom continues in the international markets, the NTB expects fewer travelers to visit Nepal. "These are hard times and people are not interested in leisure activities and discretionary spending," Kashi Raj Bhandari, a senior official at the NTB, said. "If we are to believe the surveys conducted by international organizations, this situation will continue until 2010."
However, travel agents said careful marketing could alter this trend of negative growth and bring in more tourists. "We are still selling the cheapest travel package in South Asia," an official of Yeti Travels told myrepublica.com. "This gives us an edge, especially at a time when holiday makers are eyeing less expensive places to visit. It’s up to the government to decide how we can cash in on this advantage."
The United Nations World Tourism Organization expects international tourism to stagnate or even decline slightly by 1-2 percent throughout 2009.
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