Tamang Heritage Trail opens for trekkers

Hotel Entrepreneurs Committee of Thuman, along the Tamang Heritage Trail in Lagtang Region on Thursday declared that most of the sections of trail are safe and ready to welcome visitors.

Tamang-Heritage-Trekking

Speaking at a program organized in Kathmandu, the entrepreneurs said hotels and lodges in Syafru, Gatlang, Tatopani, Nagthali, Thuman, Timure and Briddhim are safe and open for business. “There is no problem in the heritage trail,” Tshering Lama, a local hotelier, said.

“As 90 percent of homes and hotels in the Langtang region have been damaged by the earthquake, it is difficult for people to believe that Tamang Heritage Trial is still safe,” Lama said, adding, “As the trail as well as most of the hotels and lodges is intact, concerned authorities should help us to promote the trail.”

According to local hoteliers, most of the hotels and lodges along the heritage trail are made of wood and hence are completely safe.

Ramesh Kumar Adhikari, administrative chief of NTB, said the notion that the Langtang Region is completely devastated is wrong and hence has to be corrected. “Local entrepreneurs are ready to welcome tourists in the region and tourists have started getting Trekking Information Management System (TIMS) card for visiting the region,” Adhikari said.

Local hoteliers suggested trekking operators to devise attractive packages to woo more trekkers. “As the tourist season is coming, we must work out some packages or offer discounts for at least this autumn to attract more tourists,” he added.

Local hoteliers say they can accommodate 200 trekkers per day. They have also asked concerned authorities to allocate some budget for rehabilitation of some damaged sections of the trail. “We have submitted our proposal to the Department of Tourism. We are hopeful that we will get necessary support and cooperation from the government,” added Lama.

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Source: Republica

Nepal Tourism Is Back On

Nepal Tourism Is Back On

Despite concerns about safety and infrastructure following the earthquakes earlier this year, Nepal has gotten the all-clear for tourism, including on Mt. Everest.

Nepal-Kathmandu-Valley-cr-getty

Following devastating earthquakes this spring, Nepal has officially been cleared to welcome tourists again, just in time for peak hiking season. Miyamoto, a structural engineering firm, oversaw a survey of Nepal’s infrastructure that was paid for by the British government. They determined that the country—as well as Annapurna, Mt. Everest, and other places favored by international tourists—is safe to visit. While the Nepalese government, which counts on tourism money to help boost its economy, is happy about the news, not everyone feels the same way.

“Travel insurance is the major problem for us right now,” Shiva Dhakal, the owner of the Royal Mountain Travel tour company, told The Guardian. “Travelers from the U.K. are scared.” The survey’s methods also drew concern, as it was pulled together in a short amount of time, leading some critics to argue that it wasn’t entirely thorough.

But not everyone is put off. Tauck, a U.S.-based tour operator, has announced that its previously scheduled Nepal visits this fall will go on as scheduled. The 17-day itinerary is primarily across India but includes three days in Kathmandu. Tauck corporate communications manager Tom Armstrong told Condé Nast Traveler that he felt confident sending travelers back to Nepal after his own partners there had okayed the venues they would be visiting, including the famed Dwarika’s Hotel.”We’ve been in consultation with all of our partners in Nepal since the earthquake,” he said. “We sent one of our employees, who has been to Nepal many times, in [early] July to go visit all the places our guests visit on our tour. He inspected them and found that, much to his surprise, it was better than anticipated. Based on the media coverage, there were a lot of areas that were better than he expected them to be.”

Nepal Reopens Earthquake-Damaged UNESCO Sites

The Tauck itinerary in Kathmandu includes a flight seeing trip through the Himalayas, a Q&A with a Sherpa, and a visit to the historic village of Bhaktapur. It doesn’t involve any mountain climbing, one of Nepal’s riskiest outings. The only change to the itinerary, Armstrong reports, was a planned visit to Durbar Square, one of the UNESCO sites in Kathmandu that was seriously damaged during the quakes. It has been replaced with a visit to a similar monument in less-precarious condition. “It’s definitely not intended to be an adventure itinerary,” Armstrong added. “The Nepal component is much more about history and culture. Typically, this [tour] appeals to a seasoned traveler who is culturally curious, who has traveled extensively.” He believes that people who want to help Nepal’s recovery efforts should do so by going there and spending money, as tourism is such a key part of the country’s economy.

A second Miyamoto report, this one funded by the World Bank, is due this week. It’s also expected to say that Nepal is ready to welcome back tourists.

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Source: www.cntraveler.com

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Annapurna Circuit, sanctuary trails safe: Study

The structural damage in two popular trekking trails in the Annapurna Region following the earthquake of April 25 and aftershocks thereafter is very minimal, according to a study commissioned by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.

The study carried out by Miyamoto International — a global engineering, construction management and project management company — only 3 percent i.e. 6 out of 250 accommodations along the trails have suffered minor repairable damages. “All 30 bridges on the trails are safe. Only around 250 meters track on the trails needs to be rerouted,” the report states.

Annapurna Base Camp Trek

The study was funded by SAMARTH-NMDP — a program supported by UKAID.

Kit Miyamoto, team leader of the assessment group, said Annapurna Region is open for business for autumn and that the region is completely safe. “However, there are some areas that have been identified as having a particularly high hazard level due to their existing features or geometry. For example, very high rock slopes and areas with evidence of historic large rock fall and slope instability,” said Miyamoto.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Kripasur Sherpa said this independent assessment will help to clear negative message about Nepal in the international market. “Now we can tell the world that trekking in the region is completely safe,” he added.

The assessment team has suggested carrying out a detailed risk-assessment study of some areas including assessment of likelihood of failure, occupancy of specific areas of trail and villages, and combining these with hazard to assess the risk. “It is recommended that a detailed hazard and risk assessment is undertaken at Bagarchhap to better understand the slope stability and rapid deposition risk to villagers and tourists staying in the area. Until such time as this is complete, we recommend that the risk present at the village is considered intolerably high for overnight occupancy,” the report stated.

It has also recommended placing ‘Landslide Hazard No Stopping for 2 km’ signage on either side of the new regolith landslide north of Bhratang.

“We also recommend re-routing the section of track that is located at the scarp of the large rockslide between Kimrong and Chomrong or Jhinu Danda which is located within 2 meters from the edge of the failure. The track should be located at least 100 meters upslope from the edge of failure,” Miyamoto said, quoting the report. “The section of track that requires re-routing is approximately 250 meters long.”

The report has recommended abandoning the older section of trail south of Ghasa that leads to the old foot in favor of the road located further west that leads to the newer bridge due to landslide hazard.

“All the frequently used tracks should be checked for new failures and rock fall following monsoon rains each year,” the report states.

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Source: Myrepublica

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Most villages on Everest trail unaffected by quake: Report

A report prepared on the basis of structural, geotechnical earthquake damage and trekking safety assessment has concluded that most of the villages on the Everest Base Camp trail do not appear to have been affected by landslide hazards. The assessment entitled ‘Damage Assessment of Everest Region’ was conducted between June 27 and July 2 by Miyamoto International, a global engineering, construction management and project management company with funding from the International Finance Corporation.

everest_base_camp

“As there is no major damage, it is possible to begin trekking in the region. We have received the draft report and we have yet to get the final report,” said Tulsi Gautam, director general of the Department of Tourism, adding that the department will launch the report next week after getting full report.

According to the report, none of the nine suspension bridges assessed by Miyamoto engineers appear to have been affected by new geotechnical hazards. Much of the trail and most of the rock retaining walls, both above and below the trails, are undamaged as per the report. However, the engineers observed very little foundation damage to the buildings.

“As most of the trails and bridges are safe, we can resume trek from September after monsoon ends,” said Sagar Pandey, general secretary of Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN).

TAAN expects that trekking business will revive by 25 percent from August and more than 60 percent by autumn next year.

The report, however, notes that a number of villages like Phakding and Jorsale have significant existing rockfall hazard while Toktok, Bengkar and Shomore have been affected by very serious geotechnical hazards.

According to the report, the damage in the lower valley, below Namche Bazaar, is greater than in the upper valley as the slopes are generally steeper in the lower valley.

“In the lower valley, the damage tends to be concentrated on the true right side of the river. This is likely because the dominant defect orientations within the rock are dipping out of slope on the true right and into slope on the true left. This means that there are more kinematically feasible failure mechanisms on the right side of the river,” the report said.

The report further said that there may also be a seismic directivity effect since the true right of the river may have been shaken in a different manner from the true left as the United States Geological Society (USGS) modeling shows clear propagation of energy toward the east.

To manage risks associated with the hazards identified by the study, the team has recommended completing a detailed risk assessment study, including assessment of likelihood of failure, occupancy of specific areas of trail and villages, and combining these with hazard to assess the risk.

The team comprised of a structural engineer, a geotechnical engineer, a professional mountain guide, a project coordinator and an operations manager. It assessed 15 villages, 710 buildings and nine suspension bridges.

As per the report, out of approximately 710 buildings, earthquake damage of structural concern was observed in 120 buildings i.e. 17 percent, 83 percent of buildings can be given a green tag per Applied Technology Council-20/ Department of Urban Development and Building Construction guidelines.

The good thing, according to the report, is that most of the buildings that were damaged can feasibly be repaired and building owners have started reconstructing damaged buildings.

“The major concern is accommodation and the trails. As the trails are safe and the buildings, most of which are lodges under reconstruction, we can disseminate the message that trekking can resume in the region very soon,” said Pandey.

However, to provide training and guidelines during these critical months of reconstruction would greatly improve the overall built environment of accommodation structures on the trail, the report said.

“The owners also are facing severe shortages of cement, rebar and labor. Supply chains needs to be facilitated to ensure that these materials are readily available and that the quality of repair works will not be comprised due to these shortages,” the report stated.

Report highlights:

  • Many villages on the Everest Base Camp trail namely Lukla, Namche, Khumjung, Tengboche, and all villages above Dingboche do not appear to have been affected by landslide hazards.
  • Villages like Phakding and Jorsale have significant existing rockfall hazard while Toktok, Bengkar and Shomore have been affected by very serious geotechnical hazards.
  • None of the nine suspension bridges assessed by Miyamoto engineers appear to have been affected by new geotechnical hazards.
  • Much of the trail and most of the rock retaining walls, both above and below the trails, are undamaged.
  • Of approximately 710 buildings, earthquake damage of structural concern was observed in 120 buildings i.e. 17 percent and 83 percent of buildings can be given a green tag.
  • The damaged buildings can be repaired and building owners have started reconstruction.

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Google team: Nepal back on its feet

Google team: Nepal back on its feet

“Do you think Nepal needs more aid? Or do you think the world needs to know that Nepal is rising?”

Stacie Chan, a Google employee visiting Nepal, posed this central question at the conclusion of an event organised by Startup Weekend Kathmandu in SAP Falcha at Babarmahal on Saturday. Chan was a participant, along with 34 other people from Google, in a three-day interaction conducted by SW Kathmandu along with Nepal Rises.

Google_logo-7

More than 70 participants from Google, California-based Salesforce and Nepal pitched business ideas ranging from developing a platform for sharing disaster-related information between NGOs, locals and the government to re-establishing the reach for the Nepali media outlets so that international audiences are constantly updated on the post-earthquake developments. The winning business idea involved developing an online platform for effective disaster-response management.

“We have to de-mythicise this earthquake,” Chan said. She was the leader of one of the teams that proposed an initiative that would ensure that the news of the Nepali resilience and the reconstruction efforts being undertaken is communicated to the world. She said she had been keeping close tabs on Nepal since the Great Quake struck on April 25. She was devastated when she watched a documentary titled Nepal Rises and, when presented with the opportunity to experience first-hand what was happening in Nepal, she could not give up on it.

However, Chan also discussed how some of her preconceived notions of the earthquake changed when she got here. “There were so many images of disaster, destruction and horror wherever I looked on the Internet. When I got to Nepal, I kept asking myself, ‘Where are all the damaged buildings?’ I couldn’t find any,” Chan said. “Of course, I cannot forget the thousands of people who have lost their lives and thousands who are still suffering. Nepal is a beautiful place; there is so much more to it than just this earthquake. Why aren’t there images of shops opening in Kathmandu , or children walking to school? Why aren’t there images of Nepal rising?” Chan asked.

“I was pleasantly surprised as I travelled around Kathmandu ,” Chan said. “People around the globe were scared, initially—and not without reason. But now, we need to make sure that people around the world know Nepal for what it is. They need to know the brilliantly resilient Nepali people. They need to know that Nepal is rising.”

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Source: Ekantipur

Kathmandu calls on foreign tourists to visit the country

Kathmandu calls on foreign tourists to visit the country

Nepali government officials at the 39th session UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee call for the country to be removed from the danger list for travellers. In 2014, some 800,000 tourists visited the Himalayan nation. This year, this is expected to decline by 40 per cent. Just for summer and fall, bookings should drop by 70 per cent. For Nepal, tourism is a major source of revenue.  Nepal’s government is pulling every diplomatic string to get foreign embassies to change their travel advisories so that the Himalayan nation can be considered “a safe place to visit,” this according to Kripasur Sherpa, Nepal’s Culture and Tourism minister.

ATTENTION EDITORS -- THIS IMAGE IS 20 OF 29 TO ACCOMPANY NEPAL-GOD/CULTURE, A PICTURE PACKAGE ON NEPALI BOY SAMBEG SHAKYA. SEARCH KEYWORD "GANESH" TO SEE ALL IMAGES PXP01-29 Sambeg Shakya, 6, observes the Indra Jatra Festival from a window of a house of the Living Goddess Kumari in Kathmandu September 16, 2011. Sambeg Shakya was hailed last year by Buddhist priests as Ganesh, or the god of good fortune, since when he has led several processions of Nepal's better-known 'living goddesses', also known as Kumari. The centuries-old ritual, once used by now-toppled kings who thought it would make them stronger, was the climax of the annual Hindu festival of Dasain, which lasts for two weeks and has become a major tourist attraction in Nepal.  Sambeg will continue in his supporting role until he is big enough to fit in a chariot pulled by men, after which he must return to real life. Picture taken September 16, 2011. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar (NEPAL - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY POLITICS)

Almost two months after the terrible earthquake that struck the country on 25 April killing more than 8,700 people, the authorities want to jumpstart the tourist sector, a key component of the country’s economy.

Speaking to AsiaNews, Mr Sherpa said, “the earthquake affected only a small portion of the territory and now visitors are no longer at risk. Almost 80 per cent of the country and many tourist destinations were not touched by the powerful earthquake”.

In view of this, “when foreign countries change their travel advisories and remove Nepal from their danger lists, we can restart the tourism industry thanks to visitors from the United States, Europe and Asia.”

Nepal welcomed 800,000 visitors last year, but the government anticipates a 40 per cent drop this year due to the earthquake. For summer and fall, bookings are expected to plunge by 70 per cent.

For this reason, the country’s representatives attended the 39th Session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee in Bonn in late June. On that occasion, Nepal asked foreign governments to lift the travel ban to Nepal.

Bhesh Narayan Dahal, director general of the Department of Archaeology (DoA), attended the meeting and confirmed that the organisation had accepted Nepali demands, urging other governments to take action to that effect.

According to the DoA, the earthquake damaged some 745 historical, cultural and religious monuments in 20 districts. Of these, 133 were destroyed whilst remaining 612 were partially damaged.

“We are trying to convince foreign nations that Nepal is safe, and we want to encourage them to visit our country,” said Foreign Minister Mahendra Pandey.

“Nepal is one of the most popular tourist destinations,” he explained. “Visitors can explore the mountains, the Himalayas, cultural sites and many other destinations in complete security.”

Following the appeal by UNESCO, the United States, Switzerland, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Great Britain have lifted their travel advisory. Mr Sherpa noted that he met the ambassadors of India and China to ask them to encourage their citizens to visit. Together, Indian and Chinese visitors represent 30 per cent of all tourists.

“We want to tell the truth and improve our image,” said the minister. “Nepal is a safe place to visit.”

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Source: asianews.it