Nepal is ready for you / Photo by Camilla De Moraes
Hopefully the days of nationwide insurgency are over now that the Maoists have come above ground. The Nepalese tourism industry has proved its resilience over the years by growing despite the turmoil – enough people continued to visit Nepal despite warnings.
“I think people realised that they are not safe anywhere these days.”
The 9/11 attacks, the Bali bombings, the Madrid bombing, and the London bombings, all proved to people that there are worse problems than insurgents in Nepal. They made the industry resilient. We had to learn to fend for ourselves. Traditional agents were quick to be disloyal when the advisories went sour and companies were forced to reach out to the market themselves through trade fairs, by improving their websites, and by marketing their products directly to clients. As a result many companies are now more conscious of market requirements and sustainability issues than ever before.
Sustainability
In 2006, a project on the marketing of sustainable products of Nepal by UNEP, SNV, Nepal Tourism Board and the Nepal Government got over 50 private sector operators to join the Sustainable Tourism Network. Several of them got selected for the MAST project, received training and even attended some trade shows as part of the marketing effort. It does not prove much, but does show that operators are conscious and willing to change.
Adventure sports destination
The International market is beginning to see the potential of Nepal as an adventure sports destination. A major international mountain biking championship recently took place in Nepal, an international kayak championship is held every year, the world’s highest marathon – The Everest Marathon, which starts at Everest Base Camp (5350m) and ends at Namche Bazaar (3440m) – is held in Nepal (the first race was won by a Nepalese trekking cook!).
If anything good came out of the insurgency it’s that the tourism industry is now more resilient and professional than ever.
[...] Nepal Is More Than ReadyThe 9/11 attacks, the Bali bombings, the Madrid bombing, and the London bombings, all proved to people that there are worse problems than insurgents in Nepal. They made the industry resilient. We had to learn to fend for ourselves. … [...]
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