Quake inflicts loss of Rs 43.99 billion on tourism sector

Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has said that the earthquake of April 25 and the aftershocks thereafter have inflicted loss of Rs 43.99 billion to the tourism sector.

The ministry presented loss estimates, which also includes damages sustained by cultural heritage sites, to the parliamentary International Relations and Labor Committee on Sunday.

According to the report, the quake destroyed 114 hotels in Gorkha causing loss of US$ 5.3 million, 130 hotels in Dolakha resulting to loss of $14.4 million, 367 hotels in Rasuwa causing loss of $17.04 million and 210 hotels in Solukhumbu causing loss of $21 million. Similarly, damages in 300 hotels in Kathmandu and 100 hotels in Sindhupalchowk caused loss of $30 million and $20 million respectively.The quake damaged 127 hotels in Dhading causing loss of $16.2 million, 111 hotels in Bhaktapur causing loss of $18.8 million, and 50 hotels in Lalitpur and Kavre each causing incurred loss of $10 million. The report also says 344 home-stay operators in different parts of the country suffered damage due to the quake, causing damage of $17.2 million.

Similarly, tour operators and trekking agencies have reported loss of business worth $19.89 million and $ 35.1 million, respectively. Loss in business has been calculated on the basis of average length of stay of 12 days and average per day spending of $47, according to MoCTCA officials.

The government has estimated the loss due to damage sustained by 1,500 temples, monasteries, churches and mosques in different quake-affected areas at $120 million.

Mohan Krishna Sapkota, spokesperson of MoCTCA, said that figure might go up as they were still collecting information of newly built temples, mosque, churches and monasteries.

A total of 733 cultural heritage sites have been damaged, causing a loss of $70 million.

The government has estimated that altogether 155 kilometers of trekking trails have been completely damaged and 242 km have been partially damaged. The cost to repair completely damaged and partially damaged trails have been estimated at $2.3 million and $1.9 million, respectively

Similarly, the loss suffered by the mountaineering sector has been estimated at $10 million.

The ministry compiled the estimated loss figures by collecting information from Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN), Homestay Association and Buddhist Philosophy Promotion and Gumba Development Committee, among others.

MoCTCA formed Tourism Recovery Committee (TRC) soon after the earthquake to make plans for revival of tourism industry. According to the ministry, the committee has been working to open cultural heritage sites for foreign tourists by June 15. It has already started clearing rubbles with the help of various organizations.

To spread the message that Annapurna and Khumbu regions are safe for tourists, TRC is preparing to hire an international company to assess trekking trails there, according to the report.

source:republica,8 june 2015