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Nepal prays for return of tourists after earthquakes

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Nepal prays for return of tourists after earthquakes

Nepal is hoping to welcome tourists back to the country in time for the next trekking season in the autumn

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Nepal earthquake: What does the future hold for tourism? Photo: ALAMY

 Nepal is hoping to welcome tourists back to the country in time for the next trekking season in the autumn, with attractions being rebuilt and trekking routes in the foothills of Mount Everest reopening.

Following the recent devastating earthquakes that killed more than 9,000 people, most hotels and restaurants in Nepal shut down, tourism numbers fell significantly and thousands of porters were left out of work.

“It has been hard,” said Sujan Sijapati, operations manager for Intrepid Travel in Nepal. “The earthquake meant that the season finished early and we’ve already written off the coming month to focus on rebuilding for the coming season.”

Two trekking routes, including the popular Langtang trekking route, were closed and hotels damaged in the quakes on April 25, the worst natural disaster in the country since 1934, and its aftershock on May 12, which destroyed nearly half a million houses and left thousands without food or water.

nepal2_3289752a

Earthquakes killed more than 9,000 people this year

The aftermath saw holidays cancelled for May, before spreading to the rest of the year. Relief and aid workers were soon filling the hotels left empty by tourists.

Kathmandu landmarks before and after quake, in pictures

There is hope for the next season however, with tourism experts and officials suggesting that the effect of the Gorkha quake will not be long term. Most trekking routes are still intact and could all be reopened by the autumn.

Several of the heritage sites damaged in the Kathmandu Valley are reopening this month, the Nepali Times reports, with Boudhanath stupa, Budanilkantha and Pashupatinath temples, among those that have been declared safe.

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Boudhanath stupa (Photo: Alamy)

 Meanwhile, the vast majority of hotels are apparently being restored as they did not suffer structural damage.

“People are keen for tourists to return – not just hotels and tour operators, but restaurants, gear companies, even those in remote areas rely on tourism. Now there is no work at all,” said Mr Sijapati.

What does the future hold for tourism in Nepal?

He explained that most tourism companies are privately owned by Nepalese people on a local scale, and so he expects they will have a tough time.

“People have been traumatised, but you can’t cry all the time. People are united to work together to overcome the national crisis. There is a strong sense of patriotism. Things are getting better and becoming more normal. Schools have opened. People are quite positive, they have started laughing and partying and voluntarily clearing debris. There is a strong sense of unity to rebuild Nepal.”

Monkeys outside of Pashupatinath temple (Photo: Alamy)

Monkeys outside of Pashupatinath temple (Photo: Alamy)

The UN’s World Food Programme revealed last week that thousands of out-of-work porters are being hired to deliver aid to the most remote parts of the quake.

Ang Tsering Sherpa, president of Nepal’s mountaineering association, said the scheme would “support the livelihoods of mountain communities who are facing great problems because of the quake”.

He said: “This is the time to help the Nepalese people. If you are serious about helping Nepal, don’t just give money, come to Nepal as a tourist.”

The Himalayas: Trip of a Lifetime

Independent assessments are being carried out to determine which trekking routes should reopen. Intrepid said it is working with independent safety experts and other government and industry organization to start an infrastructure assessment on areas like Annapurna.

Mr Sijapati said that travellers he meets on the ground in Nepal seem eager to help a country focused on rebuilding itself.

Intrepid has launched a million pound fundraising campaign that will see all profits from the company’s next season of Nepal trips donated to local and international charities working to rebuild it. The adventure travel specialist is also running three charity treks in the autumn, including one to Everest Base Camp.

Mt. Everest

Mt. Everest

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Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Nepal tourism appoints son of Edmund Hillary to promote Everest mission

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Nepal tourism appoints son of Edmund Hillary to promote Everest mission

After the Earthquake Nepal’s Everest missions has taken a back seat as people are weary to scale the peaks in fear of avalanches. The Nepal government on May 28, 2015 observed the international Everest Day marking the conquest of the world’s highest peak by Edmund Hillary and Tanzing Norgey Sherpa 62 years ago. The day was observed with intentions of reviving tourism in the country.

Peter-Hillary-son-of-Edmund-Hillary

In a bid to call back tourists the Nepalese Tourism Minister Kripasur Sherpa appealed to international tourists to visit the country. He assured them that there are still many safe and beautiful places which include heritage and cultural sites along with trekking trails that have remained intact despite the devastating earthquakes.

The minister looked for support from the private sector. He felt that together the public and private sector can rebuild the losses that Nepal has met with.

The mountaineering sector was suffering losses since 2013 when 16 mountain guides were killed in April 18. But the Earthquake in central and North-West Nepal was hit by the devastating earthquakes. The avalanche from the quake killed 18 people which had 5 foreigners and all expeditions had to be brought to a halt.The area is under grave threat owing to melting glaciers and continued avalanches. The country needs faith and support from international tourists and climbers to get things back in tempo.

Before the quakes thousands of climbers trekked the Everest each year providing employment to the Sherpas and bringing millions of dollars for the Government. If Everest mission should stop it would amount to grave losses for the government. So the government has appointed 19 goodwill ambassadors which include Peter Hillary, son of Edmund Hillary, Jamling Tenzing, son of Tenzing Sherpa, Junko Tabei, the first women Everest Summiteer from Japan and Reinhold Mesner, Italy, who climbed the Everest without oxygen for the first time. They will help promote tourism in Nepal.

Source: Travel And Tour World

Over 70% of glacier volume in Everest region could be lost by 2100

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Over 70% of glacier volume in Everest region could be lost by 2100

A team of researchers in Nepal, France and the Netherlands have found Everest glaciers could be very sensitive to future warming, and that sustained ice loss through the 21st century is likely. If greenhouse-gas emissions continue to rise, glaciers in the Everest region of the Himalayas could experience dramatic change in the decades to come according to a research published in The Cryosphere, an open access journal of the European Geosciences Union (EGU).

Instruments used to study the Mera Glacier region of the Dudh Kosi basin Credit: Patrick Wagnon

Instruments used to study the Mera Glacier region of the Dudh Kosi basin Credit: Patrick Wagnon

“The signal of future glacier change in the region is clear: continued and possibly accelerated mass loss from glaciers is likely given the projected increase in temperatures,” says Joseph Shea, a glacier hydrologist at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu, Nepal, and leader of the study.

The glacier model used by Shea and his team shows that glacier volume could be reduced between 70% and 99% by 2100. The results depend on how much greenhouse-gas emissions continue to rise, and on how this will affect temperature, snowfall and rainfall in the area.

“Our results indicate that these glaciers may be highly sensitive to changes in temperature, and that increases in precipitation are not enough to offset the increased melt,” says Shea. Increased temperatures will not only increase the rates of snow and ice melt, but can also result in a change of precipitation from snow to rain at critical elevations, where glaciers are concentrated. Together, these act to reduce glacier growth and increase the area exposed to melt.

Glaciers in High Mountain Asia, a region that includes the Himalayas, contain the largest volume of ice outside the polar regions. The team studied glaciers in the Dudh Kosi basin in the Nepal Himalaya, which is home to some of the world’s highest mountain peaks, including Mt Everest, and to over 400 square kilometres of glacier area. “Apart from the significance of the region, glaciers in the Dudh Kosi basin contribute meltwater to the Kosi River, and glacier changes will affect river flows downstream,” says Shea.

Changes in glacier volume can impact the availability of water, with consequences for agriculture and hydropower generation. While increased glacier melt initially increases water flows, ongoing retreat leads to reduced meltwater from the glaciers during the warmer months, with greatest impact for the local populations before the monsoon when rainfall is scarce. Glacier retreat can also result in the formation and growth of lakes dammed by glacial debris. Avalanches and earthquakes can breach the dams, causing catastrophic floods that can result in river flows 100 times greater than normal in the Kosi basin.

To find out how glaciers in the region will evolve in the future, the team started by using field observations and data from local weather stations to calibrate and test a model of glacier change over the past 50 years. “To examine the sensitivity of modelled glaciers to future climate change, we then applied eight temperature and precipitation scenarios to the historical temperature and precipitation data and tracked how glacier areas and volumes responded,” says study co-author Walter Immerzeel of Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

Part of the glacier response is due to changes in the freezing level, the elevation where mean monthly temperatures are 0°C. “The freezing level currently varies between 3200 m in January and 5500 m in August. Based on historical temperature measurements and projected warming to the year 2100, this could increase by 800–1200m,” says Immerzeel. “Such an increase would not only reduce snow accumulations over the glaciers, but would also expose over 90% of the current glacierized area to melt in the warmer months.”

The researchers caution, however, that the results published in The Cryosphere should be seen as a first approximation to how Himalayan glaciers will react to increasing temperatures in the region. Patrick Wagnon, a visiting scientist at ICIMOD and glaciologist at the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement in Grenoble, France, says: “Our estimates need to be taken very cautiously, as considerable uncertainties remain.” For example, the model simplifies glacier movements, which impact how glaciers respond to increases in temperature and precipitation.

But the researchers stress in the paper that “the signal of future glacier change in the region is clear and compelling” and that decreases in ice thickness and extent are expected for “even the most conservative climate change scenario.”

The research team is composed of J.M. Shea (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development [ICIMOD], Kathmandu, Nepal), W.W. Immerzeel (ICIMOD and Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, the Netherlands), P. Wagnon (ICIMOD and Laboratoire d’étude des transferts en hydrologie, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Grenoble, France), C. Vincent (Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l’Environnement, CNRS, Grenoble, France) and S. Bajracharya (ICIMOD). – ICIMOD

For more info : www.the-cryosphere.net

PATA experts to help Nepal make tourism recovery plan

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PATA experts to help Nepal make tourism recovery plan

Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has taken initiative to help and support attempts of Nepali tourism industry to bounce back after the earthquake. A recovery plan with clear guidelines and action plan will be prepared by mid-June with the help of PATA experts, according to PATA officials.
PATA Nepal Chapter (2)
PATA Vice President Andrew Jones and Crisis Management Expert Bert Van Walbeek, who have a long experience on crisis management have helped countries like the Philippines, Thailand, Bali, Sri Lanka to name a few cope with natural calamities and after war effects, are in Nepal in this context.
To help them in the initial preliminary task, an interaction with the entrepreneurs and representatives from the private and public sectors was organized recently to explore and exchange ideas on tourism recovery initiatives in the aftermath of April 25 earthquake.

Speaking at the program, Jones suggested using the expertise of professionals, to have more promotional programs and engage celebrities. He further assured to mobilize PATA network to help Nepal for overcoming the recent crisis.

PATA is also recommending its action-oriented plan to the government, PATA Nepal Chapter and PATA headquarters.
Walbeek presented various ideas on the recovery process. He asked Nepali tourism stakeholders to believe in positive things and suggested not to offer discount packages but give additional value added services to the guests.

PATA Nepal Chapter (1)

Similarly, National Planning Commission (NPC) Member Chandra Mani Adhikari requested stakeholders to work on to rebuild damages, try to showcase the heritage sites which are intact, and be positive toward daily business life. He believed that the input from PATA experts will help Nepal to formulate short-term, mid-term, and long-term plans for revival of tourism industry. Tourism Secretary Suresh Man Shrestha highlighted the importance of an experts’ view to make recovery plans and informed participants of the interaction about the programs being carried out by the Tourism Recovery Committee (TRC).

PATA Secretary Basanta Mishra said that if things go smoothly, Nepal’s tourism can bounce back in the upcoming season starting from September.

Similarly, Administrative Chief of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) Ramesh Adhikari highlighted two major things to do at the time of crisis — repairing and preparing. “Repairing for now and preparing for tomorrow can be done by the stakeholders through common effort and joint initiative,” he added.

Source: Myrepublica

Specific Plan for Developing Tourism In Five Most Earthquake Affected Districts In Nepal

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  • ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP TREK - 15 DAYS
    ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP TREK - 15 DAYS
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    MUKTINATH TOUR BY LAND/FLIGHT
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In course of re-establishment of tourism industry in Nepal, a concept of tourism village is developed. This plan has a goal of making one village an example to tourism industry among five affected districts. Tourism ministry has planned in making five tourism villages.
Tourism Council will working in hand to hand with Urban Development ministry in this process. Said director in chief of Tourism council Mr. Tulashi Prasad Gautam. These type of villages will be made on most affected areas like Gorkha, Dhading, Sindhupalchowk and Dolakha.
Least affected villages from these regions will be selected and made Tourism Village. Gautam said, “For the development of villages, private organizations in those areas will be given some help in and other services will be made available to them.”
These districts are most visited tourist destinations. Langtang which lies in between Gorkha and Rasuwa district, Manasalu of gorkha and many regions of Sindhupalchowk and Dolakha are hugely affected by the quake. In place of the regions which has been completely destroyed by the earthquake new destinations are being planned for making.
According to tourism council, Langtang of Rasuwa, Manaslu of Gorkha, Helambu of Sindhupalchowk, and Gaurisankhar of Dolakha are being planned to be made as tourism villages.
More tourism villages will be made in other affected regions too, Gautam said. We need some home stays too as many of hotels in these regions are affected.

TOURISM RE-ESTABLISHMENT FUND:-
For the recovery of tourism a fund will be made in which first of all Nepal Tourism Board will help 10 crores. Said the Co- director in chief of council Ramesh Kumar Adhikari. A bank account will be opened as soon as possible and an appeal for help will be made to different organizations, international agencies etc. Tourism Recovery Committee (TRC) will make efforts on collection of details on affected areas and they will propose an agenda of developing those areas in right way.

FIRST PRIORITY WILL BE GIVEN TO TREKKING:-
Many trekking routes are affected due to the earthquake. These routes will be made as soon as possible and government will give its full force for fast re-development of this trails, said co-director Adhikari. Adhikari also said, “Main Trekking are affected in many places, in some places it is fully destroyed and in some it is partially affected. Partially affected routes can be re-constructed and a new route will be developed in places which can’t be re-build.
About 350 KM of trekking route is affected by the earthquake in total. Three crores is needed to open these routes, said Director in Chief Gautam.

A GUIDE MUST BE NEEDED FOR TREKKING:-
The affected regions of the earthquake are really dangerous so no trekkers will be permitted to trek alone without a guide. Gutam said, “Alone trekkers will not be permitted there must be group of two or more than two trekkers. One trained trekking guide is compulsory in those group.”

WE CANT MISS NEXT SEASON:-
This September was a complete loss in tourism industry. Up to nest September we must build a safe environment for tourists, said member of TRC Pandey. Pandey also said, “These kind of natural disaster does not take place in Nepal only, it too happens in other countries. What we should learn from them is fast recovery.” He added, “We should learn from them and make our efforts effective.”
After the earthquake number of tourist coming to Nepal is decreased but number of volunteers from different countries is certainly increased. Up to next season, tourist who used to come visit Nepal for fun should be increased. For this governmental and private organization should work joining hands.
Pandey said that PATA is the organization which has helped many countries for the recovery of tourism and PATA has promised to help Nepal to get through difficult condition. A team of expertise will soon arrive in Nepal. He said, “PATA will play effective role in re-development of tourism in Nepal.”

NUMBER OF TOURISTS WILL BE INCREASED:-
When these aftershocks will be over, it is believed that number of tourists visiting Nepal will also increase. Gautam said that, “International airlines had stopped providing its service as there were no more than 30 tourists. This number was increasing up to 70 but the strong aftershock on Tuesday decreased the number again.”
According to data of Airlines if aftershocks will decrease than number of tourists will increase, said Gautam. We should make sure and advertise Nepal does not still mean danger it’s safe and peaceful now for visiting.

EFFORTS BEING MADE TO OPEN HERITAGES:-
Many historical heritages, cultural spots, Durbar squares are affected by earthquake. Some of them are crushed to rubble. Now this places should be reconstructed and should be made safe to visit. Council is trying its best and making every efforts they can for this purpose, said Adhikari. There was meeting held between DOA and related agencies on this topic,
Due to the quake five hundred and twenty one heritages are destroyed. If another strong aftershock comes then many of them will be destroyed completely. For proper re- construction of these heritages and to make sure it’s safe for visiting many works are yet to be done, said Adhikari.

FIVE CRORES FOR VICTIMS:-
Tourism board will help five crores to earthquake victims. This decision was made by the meeting held on Baishak 31st. this amount will be deposited in Prime Minister Relief fund.
Private sectors should also help in this recovering process as much as possible and there is regular discussion going on in this matter from time to time in meeting held by Tourism Board.
In this difficult time of country each and every hands and heads are required for fast recovering of the country and tourism industry. As tourism is one of the main economical source for Nepal it must be recovered as fast as possible.

 Source: http://tourismheadline.com/

Damaged heritage sites continue to attract visitors

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  • 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.

With life gradually returning to normal after the devastating earthquake almost a month ago on April 25 and a major aftershock on May 12 in the Kathmandu Valley, cultural heritage sites too have started seeing visitors — foreign as well as domestic.

A New Zealander, who arrived in Kathmandu yesterday, said he made a dash for heritage sites immediately after his arrival in the capital.

“Nepal is my second home. Just because it is broken I would not stop coming. I came here to share the tragedy of these cultural sites and people with whom I have emotional ties for more than 15 years,” said Barry Whitaker, adding: “It’s heartbreaking to see these beautiful structures in ruins but my love for them will never cease.” He opined that efforts must be made to restore the monuments.

“I thought what I could do to help people protect and conserve these ancient properties handed by their ancestors. I was very sorry to see the pictures and video footage of destruction on the Internet,” he said.

Ramesh Kumar Adhikari, Deputy Director General at the Department of Tourism, said flow of visitors has increased in heritage sites that suffered huge loss due to the April 25 massive quake with several monuments either completely destroyed or partially damaged. The purpose of the visit however has changed now, he said. Some are visiting the sites for research while some want to take stock of the situation in the aftermath of the disaster, he said, adding most of them, however, are one at restoring the monuments.

The beautiful centuries-old monuments that would leave people stand in awe now are in ruins and for those who have been to these places many times before April 25, the rubble now presents a heartbreaking sight.

The heritage sites filled with twisted debris have been visited by tourists and international journalists, said Adhikari.

Mohan Murti Panta, a professor of architecture at Khwopa Engineering College, Bhaktapur, said, “I have been visiting these heritage sites almost every day to assess the damage of the historical structures not only for my individual knowledge but to help my students study and conduct research on future reconstruction work for conserving our unique properties.”

Manoj Ray, a post-graduate student of Cultural Studies at Indira Gandhi National Open University, Kolkata, India, whose team is busy interviewing people and photographing the collapsed structures in Hanumandhoka Durbar Square, said, “We are here to conduct a case study on cultural impact caused by an earthquake.”

Sudir Bhandari, who has already made half a dozen documentaries on cultural sites of Nepal, said, “We are now filming videos of these damaged structures and are planning to make a documentary about the impact of earthquake on heritage sites of the Valley. This time we want to help the country raise fund for reconstruction.”

Historical and cultural sites, which had a broad range of historical and artistic achievements within the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Property, were badly hit by the earthquake and its aftershocks. Particularly, Durbar Squares of Hanuman Dhoka, Patan and Bhaktapur as well as large number of ancient palaces, courtyard, stupas and temples were almost reduced to the rubble by the earthquake.

source:the himalayan times