In a global context, the tourism industry has been massively affected by the spread of COVID 19 corona-virus, many countries have introduced travel restrictions in an attempt to contain its spread. Nepal is not exception of the global pandemic. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)estimate that global international tourist arrivals might plunge by 20 to 30 percent worldwide due to the Pandemic.
Global Context
In a recent report made public by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the global tourism industry will lose at least $1.2 trillion this year 2020 amid the travel restrictions adopted by most of the countries to fight against the Corona-virus and consumer wariness during the pandemic. The loss of the $1.2 trillion of the tourism industry is equal to 1.5% of the world economy, according to the news reported by Bloomberg. It further reports that if this situation persists until march 2021, the world tourism industry may lose $3.3 trillion. The hard effects will be to the developing and island nations, according to the Geneva based international agency.
Nepal Context
Nepal has been facing tremendous challenges and hard times with the spread of Corona-virus and the tourism industry is the main hit of the pandemic. On the pretext of COVID 19, the government of Nepal had announced 2020 as the Visit Nepal year with an objective of bringing 800,000 additional tourists which was without adequate promotional activities and tourism entrepreneurs were also not convincing. Nepal’s tourism year campaign for 2020 seemed bound for failure because early signs were not positive, as the campaign organizers made numerous mistakes rather than promoting Nepal in the international arena in a real manner. Nepal Tourism Board, which is said to be the mediator between the government and entrepreneurs also failed to campaign for the promotion as per the need of the time. It is sad to mention that until mid-September; the government was not even able to update any kinds of promotional activities on the official website.
As the concerns were growing amid the spread of the Corona-virus, the tourism Minister was saying that Visit Nepal 2020 would move forward as Nepal was a safe Zone. There are reports that more than 3,000 hotels have sent their staff home because they were unable to keep them paying with no revenue coming. Thousands of tourism related companies are closed and 300,000 workers are out of the job due to the outbreak. Even if the lockdown is lifted, the tourism industry will take time to recover because travelers will not immediately book foreign trips as the fear looms. Most of the travelers will be struggling with their survival because the economic structure of the world post Pandemic is not clear yet and also there is a high risk of a second wave of pandemic. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the pandemic will hit Nepal’s tourism industry. tourist arrivals dipped by 2.0% in January 2020 and 1.0% in February 2020. The Hotels and restaurants have been shut temporarily. Overall, travel receipts which supply about 2.0 to 3.0% of GDP will decline this fiscal year. When the foreign earnings will be hard hit, domestic production will be badly affected.
How to move Forward
Nepal holds great potential for tourism development, which can stimulate economic growth and development overall. There has been exponential growth in the number of travel agencies, tour guides, tour operators, rafting agencies and trekking agencies. In 2018, the number of registered travel agencies reached up to 3,508 and trekking agencies 2,649. If we look at the statistics, in the month of May and June has dropped over 99 percent leaving only the arrival of people on diplomatic missions. With the border closed and internal travel prohibited for more than two months. The tourism sector in Nepal is on the verge of collapse and pandemic is likely to have a deeper and more far.
It is clear that the tourism industry would not be able to sustain without prominent and long-term visions. The government authority must take such an initiative where all the private sector can join hand in hand together and bring back the industry in shape. Our tourism industry just came in this stage not because of the endless efforts by any authorities. It would not be appropriate to say that people who visited Nepal campaigned and advertised for Nepal. As already mentioned that we have abundances of natural, religious and cultural heritages that even if we became able to reap benefits from a small portion of that, our industry will be boomed.
Entrepreneurs who started their business with loans now are in bigger problems. Keeping in mind the visit Nepal 2020, they invested money for the promotion of the company and their products. With the total halt in the business they are on the edge of bankruptcy. Likewise the people who worked in the tourism industry on a daily wage basis, they are struggling from hand to mouth. Now, time has come to realize the urgency to provide relief to the entrepreneurs and the tourism workers. the government needs to provide loans not charging interests.
The Buddhists population of the world contains about 8 to 10 percent and the main place for them is Lumbini of Nepal, the Birthplace of lord Buddha. Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia have Buddhists majority people and they want to visit the birthplace of Buddha at least once in their lifetime. Our government has not taken steps to exempt the Visa fee to the people of those countries except China. The loss of waiving the Visa fee, the government may collect the revenue from other means like entry fee to such sacred places and other visit-able places applying one window system. Government needs to take action against those who run the business without a licence. They are corrupting the industry. We need standard tourists who have the ability to spend and have luxury. The government needs to classify the Visa system those who come for or less than 30 days can access Visa through online and more than 30 days have to obtain from the embassies and consulates abroad.
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