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The show must go on, say Nepali tour operators
Several private tour operators came to reassure people that tours and travel to Nepal can – and must – go on to help the country survive.
Dubai — Just 12 days after a devastating earthquake left more than 7,300 people dead and parts of Nepal in ruins, Nepali tour operators are vowing to rebuild the country’s tourism industry and urging visitors not to cancel trips.
A Nepalese mahout rides an elephant past the 19th century Dharahara Tower in Kathmandu. —KT file photo
While Nepal’s Tourism Board skipped this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai which ended on Thursday because of the earthquake, several private tour operators came to reassure people that tours and travel to Nepal can – and must – go on to help the country survive. Khagendra Regmi, a tour and trek operator with Osho World Adventure, said he came to Dubai to represent Nepal despite the fact that his house was completely destroyed by the quake.
“My house is 100 per cent damaged, and my family is staying in a tent,” he said.
“But we have to be here to represent Nepal and tell people that Nepal is not 100 per cent finished. We are expecting your positive support. This regional disaster can happen anywhere.”
Another Nepali tour operator, Aarya Travel’s Krija Manandhar, said that media portrayal of the earthquake’s aftermath is creating a false impression of the scale of the damage. All the tour operators present at ATM noted that the high season of tourism in Nepal traditionally begins in the fall, giving the country a few months to recover before any large influx of tourists.
Bijay Amatya, whose Kora Tours company includes city tour packages of Kathmandu, said that he expects tourists to begin arriving again as early as June.
“Things will pick up in June and July, and our high season will begin in October,” he said. “It will be a little bit low compared to other years, but we’re telling people we’re back again.”
“All the hotels are safe. Roads are fine. Most of the monuments are still there, and in the Chitwan Safari Park nothing happened,” he said. “If you really want to help the country, you have to go there.”
Amatya’s sentiment was echoed by tour operator Rishav Agarwal of Nebuti Travels, who has been in the business for 30 years. “We are very positive,” he said. “What has happened is a national calamity and no one can do anything about that. Now we need to be strong and rebuild. What has happened has happened,” Agarwal said.
“The show must go on,” he added. “Don’t take Nepal as such a bad calamity that you cannot travel. Take the example of Thailand. They had a tsunami but people started travelling the country again. Same is the case with Nepal. We had our earthquake, but we should move forward. Please come to Nepal and see our beautiful country,” he said.
bernd@khaleejtimes.com
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