By Raj Gyawali
After 14 years of toying around with an inefficient and corrupt democracy and nine years of Maoist insurgency which has left the country crippled and thousands dead, Nepal has now gone back to absolute monarchy. The King made a Royal Proclamation which declared the present government void and declared an emergency state. Several basic rights have been curtailed (in order to facilitate the army to fight the insurgency).
Tourism is the second highest foreign exchange earner, and is the highest employment generator in Nepal. How does one protect a nation’s only future prospect at economic recovery in the face of a crisis like this? The Asian Tsunami brought out the importance of an industry like tourism in disaster relief, bringing economic growth and building confidence as well as getting two cultures to come forward and give and helping hand. Debates flourished whether a relaxing and fun filled activity like a holiday should be spent in a flood torn country where thousands died, or is this really the next stage of disaster relief and a time when tourism can really make a difference.
Nepal is in a similar situation. Tourism is a must for the economic growth of this country yet tourists are shying away due to the political instability sensationalized by the media creating this picture of immense gloom and danger. People in the markets believe that Kathmandu is surrounded by rebels who lob mortars on a regular basis and there are fires going around the city with block by block battles being fought. The truth is so far from this it is unbelievable.
Most travelers come to Nepal to go hiking or trekking in the high mountain tracks of the Everest Region, the Annapurna Region and the Langtang Regions. They combine this with other extensions like culture tours, elephant safaris, or action adventure like rafting or canyoning etc. But let’s not go on about Nepal’s sales pitch.
The fact is that the insurgency and the political instability have caused an intermittent travel hassle factor as there are several strikes and closures in the big towns. The insurgency has meant that there are more road blocks (but tourist vehicles are not checked nor stopped), and that in some of the trekking destinations, the rebels levy a small fee (equivalent to GBP 10 in the lower Everest Region, GBP 1 a day in the Annapurna region and similar in the Langtang region). Once this is paid up, tourism is protected. Having said that, other off the beaten tracks like Dolpo has a higher fee (GBP 70 per head). Also to put things into perspective, in many off the beaten tracks, they do not levy anything at all.
The move by the King actually has chances to bring a positive change to the tourism in Nepal. Hurt as we are by the retraction of some basic rights, frankly, this will not affect tourism. One of the biggest factors of reduction of tourists was the security situation and the closures by the opposition. There is no opposition now, so there will be no closures in major towns, and the villages are always fine. The security situation is also likely to improve with the army making peace and security a first priority. Strangely enough, the Kings move is likely to improve tourism, of course, depending on how Nepal is portrayed in the markets by the media and how convincing our pitches are.
So how does one plan a trip to Nepal? Plan ahead, keep yourself informed and also pad a few extra days to allow for some sudden closures. It is always welcome to have a few days off after a long walk, and this also allows for some holiday shopping and cultural interaction.
Tourism is a vehicle for peace, prosperity and a meeting of cultures. One of the main reasons why we are this situation is due to poverty and its myriad socio-economic implications, and tourism, especially village based tourism can play an important role in alleviating poverty. A well oiled and smooth tourism industry can bring this country out of this crisis.
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