There is enough room to make tourists visit Nepal this autumn: Andrew Jones, vice-chairman, PATA

There is enough room to make tourists visit Nepal this autumn: Andrew Jones, vice-chairman, PATA

Andrew Jones is a vice-chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (Pata). An experienced crisis management expert, he has worked as a key person in various countries that have suffered disasters like the 2002 Bali bombing, 2004 Thailand tsunami and 2014 Philippines typhoon besides Egypt and Japan. He highlighted the programmes and plans that helped these destinations to recover quickly. Pata has taken the initiative to help and support the bounce-back campaign for Nepal’s tourism industry. Sangam Prasain of the Post talked with Jones about Pata’s initiative to help rebuild Nepal tourism and the perception tourists have towards the quake-affected country. Excerpts:

Andrew-Jones-vice-chairman-PATAIs Nepal safe for travellers? What kind of message has been disseminated abroad? How do you assess the current and future scenarios?

I have visited Nepal several times. My first impression towards Nepal after the April 25 deadly earthquake was that the country had been devastated. The international media reports showed that everything had been destroyed. But when I arrived here, it was much better than I had anticipated. To be honest, I didn’t have any problems visiting the country. No dangers at all. In general, I don’t find Nepal unsafe to visit. There are many places in Nepal that have escaped the disaster, and there are many places to visit. But businesses are not normal yet. Like me, visitors need to know the reality that many places are safe to visit. We are not actually saying that the situation has become normal and come from tomorrow. But it’s going to be on the right track soon.

Can Nepal emerge as an attractive tourism destination from the devastation caused by the earthquake? How long will it take?

Except for a few places, every destination is intact. As tourism is a mainstay of the country’s economy and has created a big impact on the livelihoods of the people, Nepal should focus on rebranding and diversifying its products in a unique and sustainable way. We are also holding discussions with some branding experts to rebrand Nepal’s image. Bailing out the industry is challenging, but it is also an opportunity for Nepal to focus on sustainable tourism. It’s the right time for the government and the private sector to concentrate on good and quality infrastructure, particularly road networks and airports.

Obviously, good infrastructure is the driver of business as well as the country’s prosperity. Nepal currently should look for its traditional market segments like India and the European countries. Focused promotions in new markets like China could be a key to reinvigorating tourism. However, it’s too early to say how long Nepal will take to recover fully. But I am sure many people across the world are interested in visiting here, if they know the reality and feel a sense of safety and security.

When is the right time to invite tourists?

Yes, I would say September is the valid goal. The autumn season augurs well for Nepal’s tourism. There is a lot of work to be done to motivate tourists to visit Nepal. Some of the restrictions like the travel advisories and insurance policies of a number of countries are the factors that Pata is looking into currently. We are working on how such policies can be modified to encourage visitors to come here. Based on our initial assessment, there is enough room to make tourists visit Nepal this autumn. After all, Nepal needs business at this time.

So, how can Nepal motivate travellers to visit?

The best way is celebrities, high-profile people and the media. They are the medium to disseminate a positive message at a time when visitors are traumatized. Oscar-winning Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon has urged tourists to come to Nepal amid concerns that the nation’s vital tourism industry could be seriously hurt, and this is a gesture of goodwill to encourage others. After all, world-of-mouth promotion is the best strategy to promote tourism. Besides, social media can play an effective role to build the visitor’s confidence. Among several aspects, Pata is also considering or is in the process of bringing celebrities and high-profile people to Nepal.

How is Pata helping to revive Nepal’s tourism?

Pata is currently engaged in supporting the Nepal government and the private sector in both the technical and financial aspects. Our experts are currently assessing the tourism recovery initiatives in the aftermath of the earthquake. We need to be transparent to inform people which place is safe to visit. Safe and unsafe areas should be categorized and highlighted. Within a few weeks, we will have a clearer picture on such areas, and subsequently after some assessment, we will be working on a strategy—short, medium and long term—and recommend Nepal to act accordingly to bring Nepal’s tourism into the right and sustainable track. Besides, technical resources, we are collecting funds from various international organizations for the recovery process. Similarly, we have the Pata international travel mart in Bangalore this September. The mart’s major focus will be on engaging buyers and sellers to help sell Nepal’s destinations.

Tourism entrepreneurs are very worried and they have started offering heavy discounts and started to engage in price cutting. Is this a good sign?

Not at all. Instead of cutting prices and offering heavy discounts, the industry should maintain their quality and enhance the service level. If you adopt undercutting measures, it will affect your business greatly, and ultimately you will have to lay off your staff and that could make many people jobless. So discounts and undercutting measures practically do have adverse effects on the whole industry.

What role should the government play at this critical time? Don’t you think that earthquake-proof tourism infrastructures are the need of the hour?

The Tourism Ministry should be able to bring all the stakeholders under one roof. Not only the government, it’s time for everyone to join hands to promote Nepal. In fact, the April earthquake is a wakeup call. Its lesson learning for a country like Nepal because natural disasters could occur again and the country should be well prepared to tackle them. The aftermath of the quake has not only made things challenging, but also provided an opportunity for Nepal to do things in the right way. After all, Nepal, which relies heavily on tourism, has an opportunity to rebuild its infrastructure in a sustainable way.

Even investors are interested in investing in Nepal after the disaster because there is a window of opportunity here.

source: ekantipur

Mt. Everest gets ready for climbing season with new, safer route

everest-base-camp

Preparations are underway for the upcoming mountaineering season at Mt. Everest, including plans for a new, more difficult but safer route to the summit, while 288 climbers have already registered to take on the peak.

The arrangements are in part due to an avalanche last year that killed 16 sherpas, consequently canceling the remainder of the season’s climbing activity on the world’s highest peak.

The Nepal Tourism Board announced on Monday that the first climbers had already reached the base camp, at an altitude of about 5,000 meters (about 16,400 feet) above sea level.

Over the coming days, 31 registered groups will begin the first ascent of the season, while the numbers are expected to rise.

“We hope that the number of mountaineers increases as last year climbers had to abandon their plans to climb Everest and return,” tourism board official Gyanendra Shrestha told Efe, adding that the number of expeditions could go up to 41.

Climbers who had paid for their permits, with a price tag of about 10,000 euros ($11,000), to climb the mountain in 2014, but were made to cancel their plans, have been allowed by the Nepalese government to use the same permit by 2019.

everest base camp

Authorities have been preparing the new route since following what was the most tragic accident on Mt. Everest last year, circumventing the Khumbu Icefall where the avalanche occurred, according to the Nepalese press.

The government has also increased the number of medical personnel stationed on the mountain and set up a permanent office in the base camp to improve security and coordination.

Approximately 4,500 mountaineers have reached the summit of Mt. Everest since it was first scaled by New Zealander Sir Edmund Percival Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay on March 29, 1953.

Source: laprensasa

TIMS card made mandatory of all trekking areas

TIMS card made mandatory of all trekking areas

Foreigners will now have to take Trekking Information Management System (TIMS) cards to trek in all trekking areas of the country.

Trekking-in-Nepal

A new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for implementation of TIMS signed between Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) makes it mandatory for foreigners to take TIMS cards before travelling to all trekking areas of the country.

Earlier, such card was mandatory for trekking trails in Everest, Langtang and Annapurna regions only. Nandini Lahe Thapa, acting CEO of NTB, and Ramesh Prasad Dhamala, president of TAAN, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective institutions on March 19.

As per the MoU, foreigners interested to walk on trekking trails in Kanchanjunga, Makalu-Barun, Everest, Rolwaling, Panchpokhari-Bhairavkunda, Langtang-Helambu, Ganesh Himal-Ruby Valley, Manaslu, Annapurna Region, Mustang, Dolpa, Rara and Humla must get a TIMS card. Sagar Pandey, general secretary of TAAN, said trekkers will have to take TIMS card for all trekking areas and that they have to pay the amount in Nepali currency.

As per the new provision, group trekkers will be given ‘blue’ TIMS card upon payment of Rs 1,000, while Free Individual Trekkers (FITs) will get ‘green’ TIMS card after paying a fee of Rs 2,000 each. Similarly, mountaineers with climbing permits issued by Department of Tourism (DoT) and Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) will have to take ‘yellow’ TIMS cards by paying fee of Rs 2,000 each. Similarly, group trekkers and FITs from SAARC countries will have to pay fee of Rs 300 and Rs 600, respectively.

Foreigners working with government agencies or diplomatic missions need to acquire TIMS card by paying a fee of Rs 500 each. They, however, are required to submit their detailed itinerary and official request letter from their employers. Ang Tshering Sherpa, president of NMA, hailed the decision to levy TIMS fee on mountaineers. “I’ve learnt that certain percentage of amount collected from TIMS will go on workers’ welfare fund. It will be used for rescue and treatment of workers, among others,” Sherpa added.

As per the MoU, TAAN will levy 100 percent penalty on trekkers if they fail to produce TIMS cards at the check posts. “However, they can swap the permit taken for one area to another area in case of unavoidable circumstances by submitting an application within a week of issuance of cards,” said Pandey.

Of the total revenue collected from TIMS, NTB, TAAN, and joint fund of NTB and TAAN will get 30 percent each, while remaining 10 percent will go to Worker’s Welfare Fund.

“A three-member team under the leadership of director general of Department of Tourism will be formed to operate the fund. A board member of NTB (from private sector) will be the member, while President or representative of TAAN will be the member-secretary,” Pandey said, adding that NTB CEO will be in the committee as invited member.

Aditya Baral, spokesperson of NTB, said the new MoU will come into implementation within a week. “The changes should come into effect once the MoU is signed. But we need few more days for documentation and logistics. Also they (TAAN) need some time to set up check posts on different trails,” Baral added.

Source: Repbulica

Nepal to improve and speed up Mount Everest rescues, have more doctors at base camp

everest_base_camp

Nepalese officials say they’re adding more medical staff at Mount Everest’s base camp and will speed up rescue efforts during the current climbing season.

The moves come after 16 local guides were killed by an avalanche last year in the deadliest disaster ever on the world’s highest peak.

Devi Bahadur Koirala of the Himalayan Rescue Association Nepal said Tuesday that four doctors would be stationed in the base camp’s emergency room tent, which will be equipped to handle almost any medical need.

Koirala said plans have been made to enable sick or injured climbers to be airlifted from the mountain by rescue helicopters within 90 minutes.

Nepal’s popular spring climbing season, when hundreds of foreigners and their local guides attempt to scale Everest, runs from March 1 to May 31.

Source: Foxnews

Google launches virtual tour of Everest

Google launches virtual tour of Everest

Google launched a virtual tour of Nepal’s Everest region today, allowing armchair tourists a rare glimpse of life in one of the toughest and most inaccessible places on earth.

The Street View project takes viewers into the heart of the Sagarmatha national park, home to the world’s highest mountain, where icy blue rivers run below snow-capped peaks, monks play traditional music and yak-herders navigate precipitous stone-strewn trails.

everest virtual tour

Armed with two single-lens tripod cameras and a 15-lens custom-built “Trekker” unit designed for backpacks, teams travelled on foot to capture more than 45,000 panoramic images of the remote villages inhabited by the ethnic Sherpa community in the eastern Himalayas. Google worked on the project with Kathmandu-based start-up Story Cycle and Nepali mountaineer Apa Sherpa, who scaled Mount Everest a record 21 times before he retired from climbing and set up an educational charity.

“Everyone in the world knows Mount Everest but very few people know how hard life is in these villages,” said Apa Sherpa, who was forced to drop out of school at 12 and work as a porter after his father died. “Thanks to Google Street View, everyone can see these villages and understand that people here need help. Hopefully we can then raise funds to build more schools and hospitals for them.”

Nepal’s Sherpa community, who have long laboured as guides and porters on mountaineering expeditions, hope the project will promote the region and raise funds to improve access to education, offering future generations a way out of the high-risk climbing industry. Visitors to the Google Street View website can scroll through a slideshow of 360-degree views created by digitally stitching together thousands of 75-megapixel photographs, or click on the online map to see images of individual sites.

“Googlers, Story Cycle employees and Apa Sherpa spent about 11 days on the move last March, using the tripod cameras and fisheye lenses to shoot inside monasteries, schools, clinics,” said Raleigh Seamster, programme manager for Google Earth Outreach.

Google held a digital mapping session in the Himalayan town of Namche, where around 50 locals chipped in with suggestions of places to add to the online map. Lodge-owner Tenzing Sherpa was among those who attended the session and said he hoped the initiative would attract more tourists. “These online maps are a good source of information for visitors and if more tourists come here, it will create more opportunities, better opportunities than working on the mountain,” he told AFP.

Mount_Everest

Apa Sherpa, now 55, first climbed the 8,848-metre high peak as a porter, and described the feat as “a dream that had never been mine”. “My dream is that one day, young kids in Nepal won’t have to risk working on the mountain as porters or guides, they will be able to get an education and build better lives for themselves,” Sherpa told AFP. Sixteen Nepali guides, including 14 members of the Sherpa community, died last April in an avalanche, marking the deadliest accident to hit the world’s highest peak.
“Sherpas die on the mountain every year — no one pays attention. This time it was the biggest disaster on Everest, so it hit the headlines, but we have lost many people over the years,” Sherpa said.

Since its launch in 2007, Google Street View has captured some of the world’s most far-flung and scenic destinations, including the Amazon forest, Antarctica and Canada’s Arctic tundra.

Nepal for Tourists

  • ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP TREK - 15 DAYS
    ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP TREK - 15 DAYS
    This trek is the one of best views of annapurna range, nilgiri , Dhaulagiri , Tukuche peak , Dhampus peak , Hiunchuli ,Machhapuchhre , Gangapurna, Lamjung Himal other many more greatest views of mountains you never seen before.
  • KATHMANDU-POKHARA-CHITWAN TOUR (BY FLY/LAND)- 07 NIGHTS 08 DAYS
    KATHMANDU-POKHARA-CHITWAN TOUR (BY FLY/LAND)- 07 NIGHTS 08 DAYS
    Nepal, the land of splendid nature and rich culture is waiting for you exploration through its different facets.
  • DAMODAR KUND TOUR BY HELICOPTER - 05 NIGHTS 06 DAYS
    DAMODAR KUND TOUR BY HELICOPTER - 05 NIGHTS 06 DAYS
    Many Hindus from round the globe are dreaming to take a holy bath at least once in their life time in the sacred Damodar-Kund
  • 08 DAYS 07 NIGHTS NEPAL TRIP:  KATHMANDU 3N, CHITWAN 2N, POKHARA 2N
    08 DAYS 07 NIGHTS NEPAL TRIP: KATHMANDU 3N, CHITWAN 2N, POKHARA 2N
    Nepal, the land of splendid nature and rich culture is waiting for you exploration through its different facets.
  • EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK - 17 DAYS
    EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK - 17 DAYS
    Sagamartha (Everest) Base Camp trek takes us into one of the most spectacular regions of Nepal where the Sherpa culture thrives amongst the highest peaks in the world.
  • KAILASH MANSAROVAR YATRA BY OVERLAND - 14 DAYS
    KAILASH MANSAROVAR YATRA BY OVERLAND - 14 DAYS
    Mt. Kailash (6714m) is the most sacred mountain in Asia.
  • KAILASH YATRA BY HELICOPTER VIA NEPALGUNJ/SIMIKOT/HILSA/TAKLAKOT - 11 DAYS
    KAILASH YATRA BY HELICOPTER VIA NEPALGUNJ/SIMIKOT/HILSA/TAKLAKOT - 11 DAYS
    Mt. Kailash, the sacred mountain and the abode of the Hindu god Shiva is one of the world's greatest pilgrimage destinations especially for Hindus, Buddhist, Jains and others.
  • MUKTINATH TOUR BY LAND/FLIGHT
    MUKTINATH TOUR BY LAND/FLIGHT
    Muktinath is one of the most ancient Hindu temples of God Vishnu.

Nepal, a tiny country located north of India, has long been popular with tourists looking to trek in the Himalayan peaks. Popular locations in Nepal, including the city of Kathmandu, the Khumbu Valley, and Pokhara, have a well-developed tourist infrastructure, and tourists will find it easy to locate transportation, accommodations, tours and food. Whether you are traveling on or off the beaten path, you will find the Nepali people to be warm and more than willing to welcome you into their culture and country.

Trekking

One of the most common reasons tourists’ visit Nepal is to trek among the most famous mountains in the world. The Himalaya Mountains run the length of the country, offering unparalleled hiking and climbing opportunities. The two most popular treks in Nepal are the Everest Base Camp trek and the Annapurna trek. The Everest trek, which takes you to the base camp on the Khumbu Glacier, usually starts with a short flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. Annapurna treks begin in Pokhara. You can trek with a tour group or on your own; guides and porters can be arranged in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Budget travelers will save an enormous amount of money by trekking on their own. Lonely Planet’s “Trekking the Nepal Himalaya” is an excellent guide, and trails are well marked.

Transportation

Travelers in Nepal generally get around the country by bus or flight. Buses serve almost every location in the country, and generally come in a variety of classes. The tourist class buses are the most comfortable, and often include an on-board restroom. Second-class buses are less modern, but are perfectly adequate for medium-distance journeys, such as the one from Pokhara to Kathmandu. To book a bus, simply visit one of the tour offices that populate most cities or inquire at your hotel; most will be able to arrange tickets for you. For travelers with less time, Nepal has several domestic airlines: Buddha Air, Cosmic Air and Yeti Airlines.

Visas

Citizens of most western countries can obtain a single-entry tourist visa on arrival. You will be required to pay $30 (as of May 2010) and to provide a passport photo for the visa. If you are flying into Kathmandu, a photographer will take the photo for a small fee. Be sure to have cash on hand for the visa and photo; there is a currency exchange before visa processing, but no ATM. Visas are generally given for a 60-day stay and can be extended by visiting the Immigration Department in Kathmandu or Pokhara for a $50 30-day extension.

Airport Taxes

Nepal has exit taxes for all flights, whether you are flying domestically or internationally. For travelers leaving Kathmandu on an international flight, the tax is “Rs. 900 (about $13 in May 2010) if going to SAARC countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) and Rs. 1,100 (about $16) to all other international destinations,” according to the Visit Nepal website. Taxes on domestic flights are Rs.165 ($2.36).

Culture

The Nepali population and culture have been influenced largely by India to the south and Tibet to the north. According to Nepal.com, there are 35 different ethnic groups who are mostly Hindu or Buddhist. The website advises that visitors handle items and eat with their right hand, as the Nepalese “use their left hand to wash themselves after being to the toilet.” When traveling in Nepal, dress modestly to show respect, and refrain from public displays of affection. Regardless of the region in which you travel, says Lonely Planet, “many visitors, drawn to Nepal by the promise of adventure, leave equally enchanted by the friendliness and openness of the Nepali people.”

Source: USA Today