Views of a Nepali Economist

Nepali Tourism: Still A Long Way To Go

The new tourist season has started in Nepal. Our government and various promoters of tourism are gung-ho about the prospects of hosting larger number of tourists this year than in any previous years. Every now and then, celebrations and events are organized all over the world—from London to New York to Shanghai—to attract more tourists. Newer approaches have been employed to attract more tourists. For example: LGBT rights people have been advertising Nepal as a place where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are more, if not equally, welcomed.

Two years ago, on the occasion of Nepal Tourism Year 2011, the Blue Diamond Society organized functions where LGBT tourists—with no marriage rights in their own countries—get married and receive a certificate from the organization. As a result, LGBT tourists have recognized this well-meaning gesture, and have felt accepted as guests in Nepal. All said and done, it has always looked like no stone has been left unturned to make Nepal an enticing tourist destination. While it’s always nice to see the government and private enterprises striving to bring in more tourists, there are fundamental problems that need to be fixed in order to gain significant achievements.

First things first, tourism industry in Nepal pays too much attention to international tourists. The tourism industry has to realize that living standards of a large section of Nepali populace has increased in the last few years. Each year, thousands of Nepali tourists visit other countries. Countries like Thailand and Malaysia attract huge number of Nepali tourists each year. If Nepali tourism industry can increase the interest of a fraction of these tourists towards domestic tourism locations, the industry stands to make billions of rupees. However, domestic tourists are not in the priority list of our popular tourist destinations.

Domestic tourists visiting areas around Pokhara and the Annapurna circuit are not given rooms for lodging even when rooms are available. I have friends who had to pitch tents outside in the hills in 2010 because they could not get rooms in the hotels in the trekking route in Kaski. This problem seems to arise because our government has set different rates for us and for foreigners. Food and lodging rates for us is considerably less than what foreigners pay. One of my friends who visited Namche in 2009 observed that regardless of who ordered first, domestic tourists were made to wait longer for their food than foreigners.

If such incidents are endemic in our tourism industry, it reflects a discriminatory trend. Maybe the low rate that we pay in the hotels in Ghandruk is barely enough to cover the cost of maintaining and keeping the room in order. Maybe the low rate that we pay in the restaurant in Namche is barely enough to cover the cost of food that is being served. If that is the case, hotels and lodges should file a complaint to the government to amend the rates. Discriminating between domestic and foreign tourists—instead of filing complaints—is not the right approach to deal with this issue. 

Also, the government and the tourism board should pay heed to such issues. Each year, inflation and other factors cause food prices and maintenance costs to increase. Policies and rates have to be amended to reflect those changes. Hotels, lodges and restaurants should not have to suffer due to the policymakers’ negligence and inefficiency. However, if the discrimination between domestic and foreign tourists is not borne out of economic survival but out of inherent prejudice for one’s skin color or nationality, then actions should be taken to punish the guilty. If perpetrators of discrimination are not punished, lessons won’t be learnt and domestic tourists will keep suffering.

Our tourism industry also suffers from problems regarding hygiene and infrastructure. Because of increased advertisements and promotional efforts, more foreign tourists are on their way to Nepal in coming years. Add to those numbers the domestic tourists and a number of questions arise. Are there enough rooms in hotels and lodges in our tourist areas to accommodate these extra travelers? Are hotels and lodges clean and hygienic enough to avoid disease outbreaks? Supply of amenities and services needs to meet demand in our tourist destinations.

Some of the most beautiful destinations in the hills and mountains are accessible only to trekkers. Have we tried hard enough to make these areas accessible to casual tourists as well? We like to call ourselves the Switzerland of Asia. However, unlike Switzerland, we have been unable to take thousands of tourists to our alpine slopes for skiing. Nepali tourism cannot progress if it caters only to niche market like trekking. We need to attract more casual holiday tourists who bring along their families and big spending abilities. Trekkers and backpackers do not spend the kind of money that Nepali tourism industry would like to earn. We keep hearing about making tourism our priority sector for economic growth. But, investments in tourism infrastructure development have, so far, lagged farther behind than the talks.

Poor road and highway infrastructure has meant that most people who travel within Nepal choose air travel. However, many destinations in hills and mountains do not have airports. This has meant that despite being attractive destinations, they have failed to achieve substantial growth in tourist numbers. Also, inadequate air travel infrastructure has meant that we are incapable of handling off-season travelers, let alone those during peak tourist season. Last year, flight delays hurt the travel plans of thousands during pre- and post-monsoon tourist season. So, roads need to be constructed and upgraded in Nepal’s tourist destinations with more urgency because road travels are more reliable in our weather conditions than flights.  It is high time that everyone associated with Nepali tourism steps up their game.