Travel Warning from US Department of State

Travel Warning
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs

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Nepal
June 15, 2010

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the potential risks of traveling to Nepal and urges caution when traveling in that country. The Department of State remains concerned about the security situation in Nepal. U.S. citizens are urged to obtain updated security information before traveling and they should be prepared to change their plans on short notice. This replaces the Travel Warning for Nepal dated November 19, 2009, to update information on the security and political situation, and to advise travelers about the continuing possibility of political demonstrations and unrest.

Political violence has occurred sporadically throughout Nepal in the past and may escalate due to recent political tensions. Protests, demonstrations, and disruptions continue to occur, often without advance notice. In a recent indefinite strike imposed by the Unified CPN-Maoist Party on May 3-7, 2010, business and transportation were brought to a standstill. During this strike, large demonstrations were held and incidents of localized violence occurred. During past demonstrations, some protestors forcibly closed businesses, damaged vehicles, threw rocks, and burned tires to block traffic. Given the nature, intensity and unpredictability of past disturbances, you are urged to exercise special caution during announced demonstrations, avoid areas where demonstrations are occurring or crowds are forming, avoid road travel, and maintain a low profile. Curfews can be announced with little or no advance notice. U.S. citizens are urged to consult media sources and register with the Embassy (see instructions below) for current security information. The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu continues to monitor the political situation in Nepal closely, and advises U.S. citizens that the potential remains for spontaneous demonstrations and political unrest, which could escalate into violence. You should stay current on media coverage of local events and be aware of your surroundings at all times.

Crime in the Kathmandu Valley and in the major cities of Nepal continues and includes violent crimes, robberies by armed gangs, and harassment of female travelers. Police resources to combat such crimes are limited. Theft and muggings occasionally occur in popular tourist and trekking areas such as Chitwan, Pokhara, the Annapurna region and the Thamel area of Kathmandu. Trekkers have been robbed by small groups of young men, even on popular trails.

Visitors to Nepal should practice good personal security when moving about and avoid walking alone after dark, carrying large sums of cash, or wearing expensive jewelry. Women are advised to pay attention to local customs and dress appropriately in public. In several reported incidents, tourists have had their belongings stolen from their rooms while they slept. There has been an increase in the number of fraudulent schemes perpetrated against tourists. These schemes involve requesting the traveler's assistance, particularly financial assistance, in establishing shipping routes, or business contacts with the United States or other countries, involving jewelry, antiquities, or carpets, promising huge returns.

The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu strongly recommends that you do not hike alone or become separated from larger traveling parties while on a trail. Solo trekking is dangerous, has contributed to injuries and deaths, and makes an individual more vulnerable to criminals. Foreign trekkers have gone missing while trekking alone. The safest option for trekkers is to join an organized group and/or use a reputable trekking company that provides an experienced guide and porters who communicate in both Nepali and English. Destruction of telephone services in many trekking areas has complicated efforts to locate U.S. citizens and make arrangements for medical evacuations when needed. U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to contact the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu for the latest security information and to register their itinerary before undertaking treks outside the Kathmandu Valley (see Registration/Embassy Location section below). Trekkers also are advised to leave their itinerary with family or friends in the United States and to check in at police checkpoints where trekking permits are logged.

Travel via road in areas outside the Kathmandu Valley is hazardous due to erratic drivers, poor road conditions, and frequent road accidents. Public transportation, such as microbuses and tuk tuks, should be avoided because they are often overfilled, driven unsafely, and mechanically unsound. You should use taxis with meters or negotiate a price with the taxi driver before starting a trip. However, there have also been instances of taxi drivers tampering with the meters in order to charge higher fares.

Most U.S. official travel outside the Kathmandu Valley, including by air, requires specific clearance by the U.S. Embassy's Regional Security Officer. Active duty U.S. military and Department of Defense contractors must obtain U.S. Embassy clearance in advance for official and personal travel to Nepal.

The U.S. Government's designation of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" organization under Executive Order 13224, and its inclusion on the "Terrorist Exclusion List" pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act, remain in effect. These two designations make Maoists excludable from entry into the United States without a waiver and bar U.S. citizens from contributing funds, goods, or services to, or for the benefit of, the Maoists.

U.S. citizens who choose to visit or remain in Nepal despite this Travel Warning are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy through the State Department's travel registration website, and to obtain updated information on travel and security within Nepal. U.S. citizens without Internet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy during the hours of 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, when the American Citizens Services section is open to the public. Registering makes it easier for the Embassy to contact U.S. citizens in case of emergency. The U.S. Embassy is located at Maharajgunj. The Consular Section can be reached at 977-1-400-7200, 400-7201. The number for after-hours emergencies involving U.S. citizens is 977-1-400-7266, 400-7269. The fax number is 977-1-400-7281. The Consulate's email address is consktm@state.gov.

Current information on travel and security in Nepal may also be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. For further information, please consult the Country Specific Information for Nepal and the current Worldwide Caution, which are available on the Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet website.

Everest climbers to get free Nepal visas

Everest climbers to get free Nepal visas
Reuters, 13-May-2010

Foreign mountaineers who have climbed Mount Everest and another peak will get free Nepali visas for two years, part of a scheme to boost tourism in the Himalayan nation, a senior government official said.

More than 4,000 climbers have scaled the 8,850 metre (29,035 feet) Everest summit since it was first climbed by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa in 1953. Some 700 of these foreigners are said to be still alive.

"We will waive the visa fees for them to visit Nepal in 2010 and 2011 part of the Nepal Tourism Year plan," Ranjan Aryal, the most senior bureaucrat in the tourism ministry said.

Himalayan Nepal, home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountains, including Mount Everest, has designated 2011 as the year to boost tourism. It plans to receive one million visitors next year, up from nearly half a million now.

Tourism accounts for 4 per cent of the gross domestic product but travel officials say political unrest, frequent general strikes and shutdowns of transportation and roads had hit the industry. Officials said nearly 200 foreigners who have climbed Mount Dhaulagiri, the world's seventh highest at 8,167 metres (26,794 feet), would also get free visa this year and in 2011 as Nepal marks the 50th anniversary this week of the first ascent of Dhaulagiri by a Swiss-Austrian expedition.

Climbers will also get a 50 per cent discount in climbing fees for Dhaulagiri for the rest of 2010 and all of next year as part of the celebrations, another official said. Each foreign climber has to pay $5,000 to the government as royalty for climbing Dhaulagiri.

Visit Nepal 2011 - Nepal, the Most Amazing and Beautiful Place on Earth

Govt Slashes Climbing Permit Charges

Govt Slashes Climbing Permit Charges
ArthaExpress, 1-May-08

With a view to attracting more mountaineers to the country and to rendering mountaineering open for all seasons, the government has brought some changes in the current royalty structure for mountaineering to be effective from July 16.

A media release issued by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation on Wednesday stated that the government had decided to slash the royalty on climbing permit for autumn season by 50 per cent and by 75 per cent for winter and summer seasons. However, no change has been made in the royalty structure for the spring season.

The government also decided to increase the number of mountaineers in a team to 15 from 12. Likewise, climbers will have to pay no royalty at all to climb mountains in mid-western and far-western development regions for the next five years.

The government also decided to implement Incremental Royalty Break-down System. Till the date, the government has been charging same amount of royalty for teams having different number of persons. But the royalty amount would be increased as per the increase in number of team members from July 16.

IATA Enters Nepal Scaring Small Travel Agencies

IATA Enters Nepal Scaring Small Travel Agencies
(New Business Age, March 2008)

The scenario of travel agency industry in Nepal is about to take a big change with International Air Transport Association (IATA) entering into this market. Some of the industry analysts claim that the mushrooming and unregulated travel agency industry might finally take a more regulated and systematic shape with the entry of IATA. However, the criteria IATA has set for the travel agencies to get IATA membership have scared many smaller travel agencies. They allege that these criteria are hard for them to fulfil and are rather made for the benefit of larger travel agencies which will not help a healthy growth of the industry.

The point of the small players seems logical on the cursory look. Very few of the travel agencies know what IATA is and why it is here for. Without clarifying the market about its roles and its responsibilities, it seems unfair for IATA to ask all travel agencies to be its member within May 31, 2008. Moreover, the criteria it has set for the travel agencies to be eligible for the membership seems to be hard and some even claim that it is literally robbing them. For instance, the 7% commission that agencies used to get earlier from airlines for each ticket sold is falling down to 5% after the entry of IATA.

While applying for the IATA membership, a travel agency has to translate all the official documents of the organization into English and send it to India along with the draft for the application fee. This work would have been easier had the IATA an office set up here in Kathmandu. Moreover, the application fee is Rs. 13,000, which is non-refundable. Then IATA sends its employees for inspection who check, among other things, whether the agency keeps important documents like passports and tickets in enclosures that have concrete walls.

Another criterion requires the agency to have at least two employees who are equipped with IATA training certificate. For this purpose, IATA provides training facilities to the interested members of travel agencies but the fee charged is hefty. And the small travel agencies have objected strongly to it. “The heavy training fee gives us an impression that IATA is coming here more for profit than for helping to regulate the market,” says Raju Dhakal Managing Director of Sea Link, a travel agency.

According to his argument, if IATA is here for a noble cause, it should provide necessary trainings on a regular basis. “It is wrong to hope that travel agencies can carry out their duties regularly simply with a certificate of training. There are examples of mistakes made in e-ticketing by even large travel agencies that already are members of IATA. This clearly shows that one-time training is not enough,” he adds.

After being selected as the official member of IATA, each travel agency has to give bank guarantee of $10,000 which again is felt quite expensive.

Some people point out that IATA will stop the peculiar practice of smaller travel agencies under which they book the seats way too early and sell them off later in an inflated price. But the managers of smaller travel agencies say that IATA need not bother about this. “If it really wishes, this problem can be solved mutually through Global Distribution System (GDS) and the airline itself. If there is false booking, time limit can be fixed by which if the ticket is not confirmed the booking can be cancelled,” adds Dhakal giving the example of Etihad Air which follows this practice. If rules like this are followed by every airline, chances of such black marketing in tickets can be avoided, he says.

However, there are some positive aspects of IATA as well. “With its entrance, many international airlines have entered Nepal”, says Saugesh Shrestha, Head of Ticketing Department of Shangrila Tours. “It fights for the interests of airlines across the globe, challenging unreasonable rules and charges, holding regulators and governments to account and striving for sensible regulation. IATA’s aim is to help airlines help themselves by simplifying processes and increasing passenger convenience while reducing costs and improving efficiency.”

Though IATA has not run its activities in full fledge in Nepal, its missions and objectives surely will prove beneficial for the travel industry in the long run, view some industry analysts. Once it starts full-fledged operation here, there will be virtually no relationship of travel agencies with airlines. Agencies will have to buy ticket stocks from IATA. Moreover, there will be special tickets made for IATA member airlines where there will be the list of the prices as well. As such, no travel agency can charge price at random, it is hoped.

Another major positive development that IATA will bring would be in credit control. Currently, travel agencies often issue tickets on credit as a result of which there is delay in payment to the airlines. This problem would reduce sharply as travel agencies will have to pay weekly to IATA for issuing tickets. “International identity and world wide connectivity is another positive aspect of being the member of IATA”, says Kamal Magar, who manages the Nepal office of Malaysian Airlines.

Nevertheless some people point out that the benefits that the IATA member travel agencies are getting are not worth the price they have paid for. There are currently 43 IATA member travel agencies operating in Nepal but many of them say that they have not felt even a marginal difference in operation except for the change in billing system and the authorization to book the tickets of Qatar Airways.

It shows that IATA has not been able to win the trust of all the players in Nepal’s travel agency industry. Larger players have already been its members while smaller ones are yet to be convinced of the benefits. “IATA on the long run is good for the country. Since many international airlines are entering into Nepal, we need such global organization to come and regulate the market. However, it should stretch the deadline it has set for travel agencies to be its member. It should realize that small players need some time to get themselves prepared to be its member and during this preparation time, it should disseminate the information regarding what IATA is and how can it make a positive difference to the industry,” says Sudip Shrestha, Assistant Officer of Marcopolo Travels. He adds, “It seems unfair for IATA to impose such a short deadline without making all the players aware about what it is and how can travel agencies benefit after being its member. Since IATA is not yet registered with the Nepal government, it doesn’t even pay any tax and neither does it employ Nepali people, it seems as if it is here to collect small change from the wallets of smaller travel agencies rather than for a noble cause it claims.”

By Bibek Subedi and Manish Bikram Shah

Tourist arrivals on steady upswing

Tourist arrivals on steady upswing
ArthaExpress.com, 3-Apr-08

The tourism industry is bouncing back fast. The performance in March reflected the continuing upswing with a 17.3 percent rise in visitor arrivals.

The data issued by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) shows that some 40,032 tourists visited Nepal during the month, up from 34,122 during the same period last year.

The Indian market that was in a downturn has rebounded. The flow of Indian vacationers rose by 9 percent. A total of 7,371 Indian fun seekers came to Nepal during March, up from 6,785.

The European market too was on an upswing. Arrivals from the continent showed a healthy growth of 29 percent to 14,885 persons, up from 11,564.

“The prime factors of continued growth are stable political situation and shored up confidence of both tourists and tour operators in Nepal,” said the NTB in a statement.

The NTB said good air connections between Kathmandu and other international cities have contributed to raising tourist arrivals. Tour operators said more foreign wholesalers had begun selling packages to Nepal as they didn´t have to worry about safety anymore.

According to the NTB data, the number of tourists from Denmark, Sweden and Norway jumped by 178 percent, 134 percent and 83 percent respectively. Some 729 Danish, 290 Swedish and 385 Norwegian holidaymakers visited Nepal.

The number of British tourists grew by 27 percent to 4,113. Tourists from France increased by 34 percent to 2,181. The growth in the number of American visitors was equally impressive, up 42 percent to 3,103 individuals.

However, some Asian markets like Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Israel performed poorly. Overall, tourist arrivals in the first three months of 2008 increased by 16 percent to 96,137 persons.

After the end of the conflict, the tourism industry has been rising steadily from the depths. Nepal welcomed a record half a million tourists in 2007.

The grass is always greener

The grass is always greener
Dining out in Singapore, chances are the waiters will all be Nepali students on internships
NepaliTimes, Issue #387 (15-Feb-08 to 21-Feb-08)
SHEERE NG in SINGAPORE

Krishna sits quietly in a corner, earnestly taking down notes written on the board. Together with him are 20 other Nepali students paying close attention to their lecturer.

It seems like an ordinary class on an ordinary school day, except that he is at least a decade older than his classmates, and the setting is 5,000km away from his home in Nepal. The 37-year-old flew to Singapore a year ago and has spent a total of Rs 350,000 in order to study hotel management in a private school here.

The number of Nepalis studying tourism and other related subjects in Singapore has continued to increase in recent years. The country is particularly a popular study destination for Nepalis because many of its colleges issue internationally-recognised certificates, which make it easier to apply for further studies in Europe and North America than if they applied straight from Nepal.

Singapore also has an abundance of employment opportunities and a relatively good average wage. Tourism courses are especially popular because they offer both the chance to get a good qualification and, as they include On the Job Training (OFT), the opportunity to work and earn money.

Most tourism students on OJT earn about Rs 260 per hour as waiters at restaurants and hotels. Even though this money can only offset part of the large expenses they incur in coming to Singapore, most see the hardship as worth bearing for the prospect of a brighter future.

Mani Prasad, a student at the Tourism Management Institute of Singapore, says: “My parents have made a big investment to help me be financially independent.” He is working as a trainee but finds it harder than he expected to meet his everyday expenses.

Together with his cousin, he rents a room at Little India hostel in central Singapore. Besides them, there are more than 20 other Nepali students staying in the hostel, with three to five of them crowded into each room. He can’t afford to go out very much, so to pass the time he stays in the room and watches DVDs. He’s not sure what he should do next: “I might take another course, go to another country or head back home. Nothing is fixed yet,” he says.

Binod, another hotel management student, studied mass communications in Nepal and aspires to be a journalist. Currently working as a waiter on his OJT period, he has applied to study journalism at another school after his course finishes. If his application is successful, he will be one step closer to his dream, but he will also have to fork out another large sum of money for the school fees. When asked if he would return to Nepal, he nods his head without hesitation. “But only when I have name and fame,” he adds.

Many Nepalis in Singapore have spent most or all of their savings to come here. Krishna had originally wanted to go to the US or Canada but despite the fact he holds a degree from Tribhuban University, both his applications were rejected. Singapore was a more reachable destination for someone of his means.

“My friends said Singapore has many hotels, easier to find a job,” he says. Having faced many difficulties to make ends meet as a student, he has now managed to secure a work permit to begin after his course, which will allow him to work full-time and earn between Rs 50,000-65,000 per month.

He is currently satisfied with his situation, but he still hasn’t forgotten his dream: to try again for America or Canada. But his life-plan, like many other Nepalis in Singapore for now, is to stay put until the chance comes up to move to greener pastures.

Tourism in Nepal: From treks to sex

Tourism in Nepal: From treks to sex
The Economist, 24-Jan-08

Is a new sort of thrill-seeker heading for Nepal?

“I CAN only dance when I'm drunk,” confides Srijana, a 20-year-old employee of the Pussy Cat Bar and Shower, a tavern in Thamel, Kathmandu's main tourist hangout. A few slurps from a customer's glass later and she mounts a small stage. There, to whoops from a few tipsy locals, she sheds most of her clothes and gyrates to a Hindi pop tune. Dangling above her is the Damoclean sword included in the bar's name: a silver shower nozzle, positioned to spray flesh-revealing water on a dancer below.

Such gimmicks are common in Thamel's bars, where competition for lascivious males is fierce. Until a few years ago Nepal had no obvious sex industry. There are now an estimated 200 massage parlours and 35 “dance bars”, such as the Pussy Cat, in Thamel alone—with over 1,000 girls and women working in them. Many sell sex. In the Pussy Cat, another dancer admits to turning tricks, for 1,800 rupees ($28).

That is a tidy sum in Nepal, South Asia's poorest country. It is much more than Nepali women are paid in India's flesh-pots—to which over 5,000 are trafficked each year, according to the UN. But the dancers in Thamel are chasing a richer sort of Indian: tourists. And their government seems to be encouraging them. In an advertisement for “Wild Stag Weekends”, the Nepal Tourism Board offers this advice: “Don't forget to have a drink at one of the local dance bars, where beautiful Nepali belles will dance circles around your pals.”

In a country with a rich tradition of dance, where paying for sex is illegal, this might be harmless innuendo. But not everybody thinks so. During the recently-ended civil war, Nepal's Himalayan tourism industry collapsed. Some activists think that sex tourism is replacing it. According to John Frederick, an expert on South Asia's sex trade, “Ten years ago the sex industry was underground in Nepal. Now it's like Bangkok, it's like Phnom Penh.”

The war, which put much of rural Nepal under the control of Maoist insurgents, has increased the supply of sex workers. Srijana is from the poor and still violent district of Siraha in southern Nepal. She was widowed there two years ago, and left an infant son to come to the capital. Yet she is remarkably cheerful—perhaps because she is drunk, and the shower is not working.

Tourist arrivals up 12.9 pc

Tourist arrivals up 12.9 pc
eKantipur.com, 1-Feb-08
POST REPORT

Nepal tourism continued its upward trend with arrivals growing by 12.9 percent in January. The data of the Nepal Tourism Board shows that 26,064 tourists entered the country by air during that period, up from 23,079 tourists during the same period last year.

Inbound tourism has been rising following the end of the conflict. In 2007, a record number of sightseers entered the country exceeding the projected half a million arrivals.

A breakdown by tourist originating country shows that the European and American markets maintained robust growth. The number of European tourists increased by 331.1 percent to reach 5,442 persons. French tourists numbered 1,032 persons (up 78.5 percent) while British visitors numbered 1,543 persons (up 33.9 percent). The flow of tourists from the US increased by 28 percent to reach 2,046 persons. However, the Indian market performed poorly, with arrivals from the southern neighbor falling by 12.2 percent to 6,440 persons. In January last year, 7,335 Indian vacationers flew into Nepal.

The NTB in a statement said the influx of tourists would grow further in the coming days because of the increased number of flights to Nepal.

Orient Thai flies in Nepali sky

Orient Thai flies in Nepali sky
eKantipur, 29-Dec-07
POST REPORT

Orient Thai Airlines, a Thai budget airline company, began thrice-a-week flights between Bangkok and Kathmandu from Saturday, becoming the ninth airline to fly in Nepal's sky in the last 14 months.

The number of airlines offering services to Nepal has doubled during this period, while several more added frequency.

"The flights are operated with 170-seater MD-82 aircraft," said Ajay Simha of Orient Asia International, the general sales agent of Orient Thai in Nepal. "The response is very good. We are targeting corporate and religious tourists from Thailand headed for birthplace of Gautam Buddha."

UAE-based RAK Airways has also plan to commence direct services between Ras Al Khaimah and Kathmandu. It is awaiting Nepal government's green light to operate ten flights a week.

Four more airlines including Air Arabia, Etihad Airways, Thai Airways, and Qatar Airways are planning to increase their frequencies, wooed by soaring flow of travelers to Nepal.

With peace returning to Nepal, vacationers are flocking in and foreign airlines are flying high.

The rising number of domestic travelers and the continuing problems with the national flag carrier, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), are further incentives for world carriers to fly to Nepal.

Notwithstanding the

growing number of air connections, a shortage of seats continues to bedevil the tourism industry.

At a time when foreign airlines are merrily operating packed flights to Nepal, NAC has virtually disappeared from international skies. Nearly two weeks ago it suspended all its international flights till December 31 after its only operating Boeing flew off to Brunei for routine maintenance.

Tourism feels punch of political uncertainty

Tourism feels punch of political uncertainty
eKantipur.com, 8-Oct-07
BY KUL CHANDRA NEUPANE

Although travel trade entrepreneurs witnessed a record number of bookings from tourists this season, they lamented that the latest political uncertainty is badly affecting the actual turn out of visiotrs.

According to information provided by local hoteliers, some 50 percent of the bookings have been cancelled following the recent explosions in Kathmandu, frequent bandas, strikes and political uncertianty.

Most of the cancellations have been recorded for the month of October, and entrepreneurs said the cancellation of Constituent Assembly election could make the situation unsatifactory in November and December as well.

This is the season when Pokhara welcomes the maximum number of European and Japanese tourists.

“We had actually been over booked. If the tourist turn-out had equalled what had been booked, Pokhara would have found it difficult handle them all,” said Raj Kumar KC, manager at Shangrila Village Resort. Talking to the Post, he said that the resort had received 30 percent more booking requests than its total capacity for October. However, the actual occupancy barely stands at about 60 percent now.

Office bearers of the Regional Hotel Association said that hotels in Pokhara had received overwhelming booking requests this season compared to the last five years. The record bookings had even spurred new investment in the tourism sector.

Entrepreneurs had rennovated their service units for the first time in five years while hoteliers that had pulled down shutters had bounced back to the business.

Blue Bird had recently resumed its services, upgrading itself as a five star hotel with a new name - Grand Pokhara. Begnas Resort and dozens of other hotels in Lakeside in Pokhara had also resumed operations. Likewise, more than two dozen hotels and restaurants had upgraded their standard and capacity.

“I invested hundreds of thousand of rupees and added rooms to tap the increased bookings,” said Biplav Paudel, promoter of Barahi Hotel. “But the continuous cancellation of bookings has cut down all the zeal and expectations I had,” he added.

Barahi increased the number of rooms to 32 from 24. He had added eight deluxe rooms considering the business of this season. Officials of the association said, tourist class hotels in Pokhara had added 200 rooms targeting tourists for the season. “Sadly, more than 50 percent of my customers have cancelled their bookings,” said Tika Paudel, promoter of Shikhar Hotel.

Manager of Fulbari Resort Maheshwor Raj Bhandari said that the number of tourist arrivals in Pokhara has not increased, even though Nepal Tourist Board's (NTB's) data shows a good growth in tourist arrival figures. For October, Fulbari had received bookings for over 200 rooms. “But, we are operating with just a 45 percent occupancy,” said Bhandari. He elaborated that the chances of witnessing a sound growth in tourist arrivals were slim in the days ahead mainly due to the recent political upheavals. Acording to an estimate, 25 percent of the tourists that land in Kathmandu travel to Pokhara.

The entrepreneurs said as the American and Japanese embassies had came up with more stringent travel advisories after the recent bomb blasts in the capital, the tourists had deterred traveling to Nepal.

Major hotels like Shangli-la, Fulbari, Fishtail, and Barahi had 70 percent booking a month earlier. “If the booking was growing coninioulsy, tourists would have had a hard time finding rooms here,” said Paudel. “But, things went otherwise.”

Tourist arrivals jump by 27pc

Tourist arrivals jump by 27pc
eKantipur.com, 4-Oct-07

With the establishment of peace in the country, the tourism industry is showing a revival. The tourism industry saw a 27 percent growth in tourist arrivals in September, says the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).

Figures compiled by the NTB shows that 32,331 tourists traveled into the country by air during the month, up from the 25,484 recorded during the same month last year.

According to the data, the European market showed the most robust growth. The number of British, Spanish, German and Danish tourists soared by 32.1 percent, 49.1 percent, 25.2 percent and 86.5 percent respectively.

A total of 2,360 tourists from Britain, 1,743 from Spain, 2,039 from Germany and 289 from Denmark made trips to Nepal during the month. Likewise, tourist arrivals from the Netherlands jumped by 79.4 percent to 834 this September.

The growth in the American market was equally encouraging. The number of tourists from America went up by 38.9 percent to 2,242. Likewise, arrivals from Canada grew by 36.5 percent to 464 tourists.

In the Asian markets, China and Singapore registered the biggest gains. The number of Chinese tourists visiting the country skyrocketed by 158.8 percent to 1,765, and the 250 Singaporeans that arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) this September was 142.7 percent more than the number that came in September last year.

However, the arrival trend of Indian tourists has been disappointing. It recorded a fall of 4.4 percent during the month compared to the same period last year. According to the data, 6,784 Indian tourists visited the country in September this year, while in September 2006, the number of visitors that landed at TIA was 7,098.

Tourism entrepreneurs said that the lack of adequate air accessibility and higher air fares had resulted in Indian travelers choosing Southeast Asian destinations like Malaysia, Bangkok and Singapore.

“The air fare on the New Delhi-Kathmandu route can cover nearly all the expenses of a tour package to these countries,” said a tourism entrepreneur. In addition, frequent cancellation of flights by the national flag carrier - Nepal Airlines Corporation - also hampered the tourism industry.

NTB, in a statement issued on Thursday, expressed hope that the festival season, which is to begin soon, will entice more Indian tourists to visit Nepal in the coming months.

Meanwhile, the total tourist arrivals during the first nine months of 2007 rose by 32.3 percent. A total of 252,407 tourists visited the country during the period. In the same period last year, 190,796 tourists had landed at the country's sole international airport.

Tourist arrivals growth in September
Country Up by Number
China 158.8% 1,756
Singapore 142.7% 250
Britain 32.1% 2,360
USA 38.9% 2,242
Germany 25.2% 2,039

Number of visitors to Nepal by air sees a healthy growth

Number of visitors to Nepal by air sees a healthy growth
Nepalnews.com, 3-Oct-07

There has been a healthy growth of 27 percent in arrival of visitors to Nepal by air in the month September 2007, up by 6,847 compared to the corresponding month of last year.

According to visitors' arrival data released by Immigration Office, this growth in tourist arrival has been possible as the American and European markets have registered a robust growth of 33.1 percent and 38.5 percent respectively, followed by a significant growth in major tourist generating markets.

There has been a positive growth in visitors' arrival from UK (32.1%), Germany (25.2%), France (18.6%), Italy (33.6%), Spain (49.1%), Japan (29 %) and USA (38.5%), according to the data.

"What this connotes is a rebound in tourism industry. If this growth trend sustains for few more months, we are quite optimistic of imparting the renewed confidence amongst the industry for achieving our target to regain the lost image," said Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) in a press release issued Tuesday.

The release further adds - Chinese and Korean markets, up by 158.8 % and 98.4 % respectively, have been strengthened considerably after the operation of direct flights from these destinations.

The total arrivals in the last nine months have gone up by 32.3 % having 2,52,407 visitors by air in comparison to the same period last year with each country recording very optimistic growth.

However, the arrival figure from India has shown negative growth due to the fact that the Indian market is "very sensitive to negative news".

"But we believe that festival season which has just started will definitely entice more Indian tourists to Nepal in coming months," NTB said.

More tourists visiting Annapurna circuit

More tourists visiting Annapurna circuit
eKantipur.com, 2-Oct-2007

Locals relying on tourism finally have a reason to smile. The flow of tourists trekking through the Annapurna circuit has jumped, thanks to the end of the 11-year conflict.

Entrepreneurs at Birethati, a locality nestling on the trekking route, said business had begun to revive with marked rise in the number of tourists. They said tourists are increasingly coming to this area which otherwise wore a deserted look some time back.

According to them, around 125 tourists are trekking through the area daily. “We have seen a surge in tourist arrivals this year,” said Krishna Gauchan, president of Hotel Operators Committee. He said tourists prefer the route due to less expensive prices and its natural beauty. Normally, tourists come here for trekking for three days to 15 days. They also visit Ghandruk, Ghorepani and the Annapurna base camp.

Local porters and other traders have also benefited from the jump in tourist arrivals. Porters said their earning had gone up while more people were getting employment opportunities.