Tourist arrivals look bleak for next few months

The Nepali tourism industry might again face a rough road for the next three months due to the CA election, which will most likely create a direct impact on the overall tourist arrival figure and tourism activities.

In 2012, the country observed an increment of around 10 per cent in total tourist arrivals, that is around six lakh tourists travelled to the country by air last year. However, with the upcoming election this year, most tourism entrepreneurs have predicted that the tourism industry will observe a fall in the number of tourist arrivals and related tourism activities for the next three months.

“As we are close to the election date we have already witnessed a decline in the number of queries. In fact, we have not received any inquiry for December and January,” said resident manager of Hotel Yak and Yeti Bharat Joshi. According to him, the hotel earlier had 92 per cent bookings but it has received around five per cent cancellations, mainly from the American and Japanese markets.

A hotel generally receives queries for December and January in October and November but the hotel has not received any query of late. “Due to the election, an international programme has also been postponed and we are yet to receive its reconfirmation,” Joshi said, informing about the decline in the number of Chinese and Indian tourists too for this and the next month.

“Tourist arrivals in the next three months will not be promising,” said chief executive officer of Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents Dr Hari Sarmah.

“The US has also issued a travel alert which is definitely not negative but due to the election the tourism industry will surely suffer and it will have an impact which will last for a few more months even if the election is peacefully concluded,” he said.

According to Dr Sarmah, potential visitors to our country are in a dilemma regarding their visit. “December is a peak tourist season which will be directly affected by the election.”

“November is a peak trekking season and we hope we will be able to recover the numbers in our coming seasons as the country has changed its marketing strategy with the theme ‘Nepal for all seasons’. Therefore, a seasonal decline will not create a long-term impact,” said president of Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal Ramesh Dhamala.

“Earlier our marketing strategy was different and there were certain months which were promoted for tourism activities. At present, our theme has changed and we are ready to welcome tourists in all seasons so this will not have much of an impact in tourist arrivals after the election,” Dhamala said.

Recently, the US issued a travel alert for its citizens for a short-term event, which is for the election that is bound to witness strikes, demonstrations, and disturbances. According to the American embassy, it has issued an alert and it is not a warning, which will be cancelled when the short-term event is over.

The alert by the US embassy was issued on November 1, which is effective till December 19. In January 2011, the US had kept Nepal in the travel-warning list due to the disturbed political condition, which was later removed, citing improved political conditions in the country.

source: the himalayan times,7 Nov 2013