Rafting sector braces for rough waters

Drop in the number of adventure tourists is likely to hit rafting business this season.

Rafting operators have reported 20 percent drop in booking this season (spring) compared to last year. They, however, are hopeful that last minute bookings by domestic tourists will help make up for the loss of revenue.

According to Nepal Association of Rafting Agents (NARA), the booking of rafting trips has dropped by 20 percent compared to last year. Nani Kaji Thapa, president of NARA, said there has been significant drop in business from European and American markets.

Kalyan Rayamajhi of White Water Rafting said booking so far was negligible. “We used to receive good number of bookings by the end of February in the past years. The online booking of FITs (free independent tourists), however, is comparatively better,” Rayamajhi said, adding that such tourists prefer longer trips of up to 10 days.

Apart from the drop in booking, unhealthy competition among operators themselves is also hitting revenue of rafting operators. Operators charge somewhere around US$ 25 per day per person for rafting trips on rivers like Trishuli, whereas the tariff goes beyond $80 per day per person on rivers like Sunkoshi and Karnali.

Thapa said price of rafting packages has remained same despite rise in operating costs over the past few years.

Ram Silwal, managing director of Royal Beach Camp, also they would be focusing on domestic tourists as booking of foreign tourists is not satisfactory this season. Royal Beach Camp offers rafting trips on Trishuli, inclusive of BBQ dinner and breakfast, at Rs 2,900 per day per person.

“Despite drop in the booking of foreign tourists, we are hopeful of doing good business as the number of domestic rafters is increasing with every passing year,” Silwal added.

Whiter Water Adventure has also unveiled 8-day rafting package on Sunkoshi with fixed departures on March 5 and April 15. “We are trying our best to come up with competitive package to retain the business,” Rayamajhi added.

Operators say number of foreign tourists coming for rafting was decreasing because of shortening of trips due to construction of dams and availability of attractive river trips in other countries in the recent years.

source: republica,1 March 2013