‘Back on its feet’, Nepal ready to receive tourists

ENS, Kolkata, Aug 1, 2015: Not less than three months since Nepal was hit by a massive earthquake which had taken a toll on its economy, the country is finally ready to receive tourists like before, said Deputy Consul General of the Nepal government Surendra Thapa in Kolkata on Friday. Speaking on the occasion of the Travel and Tourism fair being held in Kolkata, Thapa said Nepal, which used to receive 800,000 tourists annually, of which 150,000 were from India alone, has recovered from the devastating earthquake and urged Indians to make Kathmandu their next travel destination.

Nepal’s economy, which was largely dependent on its tourism industry, had suffered a sharp decline of over 50 per cent after the earthquake. However, everything has gradually come back to normal, said an official of the Nepal Tourism Board.

He pointed out that out of 75 Nepalese districts, only 11 surrounding Kathmandu were affected by the earthquake. But the tourist infrastructure such as roads, drinking water, healthcare, flights, airports and others, are fully operational.

Urging Indian tourists to visit the neighbouring country, the official said, “It is time to get over the psychological barrier and enjoy Nepal once again.”

Further, he added that of the eight UNESCO-recognized tourism circuits recognised by the government, only three had been affected by the earthquake.

The official also pointed out that more than 90 per cent hotels are back to business and telephones lines have also been restored. The tourism officials said a Japanese agency that came to assess the damage has identified that only 4 km of a total circuit of 210 km in about 36 trekking routes around Annapurna region was destroyed and the rest was safe for trekking.

The popular Pokhara valley is also fully operational, they said.