Tourism: A prospect for prosperous Nepal

Tourism: A prospect for prosperous Nepal

Nepal has very rich natural and cultural endowments for the tourism cluster .The natural endowments includes huge opportunities for nature based or adventure tourism namely mountaineering, rafting, trekking, paragliding, wild life observation followed by cycling including cultural observation. These endowments have enabled Nepal to continue to attract tourists despite its weaknesses in many dimensions. After a decade long internal conflict which sharply reduced the number of tourist flow in the country, government launched 2011 as the tourism year with an aim of promoting Nepal as safe tourism destination in the international market and boost the tourism industry. Nepal Tourism Year (NTY) 2011 was officially launched in Dasarath Stadium in 25^th February, 2011. This campaign with a slogan “Together for Tourism” aims to attract 1 million tourists in Nepal during the year 2011

In 2002 the number of tourist arrival was only 2,75,468 which was a sharp decline due to the deteriorating political situation in the country. After the peace process of 2006 the number of tourist inflow increased reaching 526,705 in 2007 (CBS, 2009). Tourist arrivals by air reached an all-time high of 501,264 in the first 11 months of Nepal Tourism Year 2011. The stats show that in the first 11 months, international visitor arrivals to Nepal averaged a growth rate of 21.5 percent (NMN, 2011). Although, it is certain that the targeted goal of 1 million tourist visiting Nepal will not be reached, the NTY year has been certainly effective as there has been a growth of 21.5 percent in first 11 months.

Having been blessed with natural and cultural panorama Nepal has huge potentialities of economic prosperity through tourism industry. Although, tourism in Nepal dates back to early 1950s but the major issue of unequal distribution of benefit from tourism remains same till date. This issue is thriving up because the development of tourism is confined to certain areas of the country.i.e. Lantang, Annapurna, Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan often referred as the tourism triangle of Nepal and NTY is no an exception to it. To make the tourism industry more inclusive and sustainable Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) the only National Tourism Organization in the country, is promoting and networking different non-governmental (Local & International) and private sector organizations which are working for sustainable tourism development (Neupane, 2001). Concept of village tourism has been put forward to address this issue and to benefit the local people from the tourism. Ghalegaun and Sirubari are two most cited examples of village tourism where local people are involved in the business and share the benefit from the profit. But most potential regions and the minorities residing in the territory of Nepal still are not addressed in the mainstream of development.

The ongoing Tourism Year reflects that Nepal do have the potential for tourist destination but to make it more commanding urgently it needs to put a serious thought on the issue of inclusion and sustainability i.e. both in terms of geography and the marketing strategy. Addressing all these loopholes together no doubt, tourism industry will add up to the GDP of Nepal in the coming years.

References

CBS, C. B. (2009). Statistical Year Book. Kathmandu: Government of Nepal, National Planning Commission Secretariat.

Dhakal, D. P., khadka, M., Sharma, S., & Choegyal, L. (2007). Lessons Learned: Nepal's Experience Implementing Sustainable Rural Tourism Development Model. Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Programme (TRPAP).

Nepal Tourism Year 2011. (2011). Retrieved December 11, 2011, from Visit Nepal 2011: http://www.visitnepal2011.com/tourismyear.php

Neupane, S. R. (2001, October). Retrieved December 13, 2011, from International Co-operative Alliance: http://www.ica.coop/calendar/ga2001/service-everest.pdf

NMN. (2011, December 4). Tourist arrivals go all time high. Retrieved December 11, 2011, from Nepal Mountain News: http://www.nepalmountainnews.com/cms/2011/12/04/tourist-arrivals-go-all-time-high/