Posted on 07/06/2015 6:55:56 PM PDT by Red in Blue PA
Whether recent events in Greece, Tunisia and even Calais have a long-term impact on tourism, beyond the immediate effects of changed and cancelled bookings, remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that the 7.8 magnitude earthquake Nepal suffered on 25 April, and its severe aftershocks, served a crushing blow to the country’s industry.
Yet already, just two months later, Nepal is gearing up to tell the world it’s back in the travel business. Nepal’s government is desperate to change the narrative after April’s disaster, which killed almost 9,000 people, in time for the peak tourist season in October and November. Visitors bring in $1.6bn to a poor country whose economy has been recovering from a decade-long civil war (1996-2006).
Despite a severe travel warning from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) having being in effect – though as of 3 July the FCO no longer advises against all but essential travel to the whole of Nepal – many leading adventure travel companies are planning to return in the near future, including Exodus and G Adventures. Fiona Marshall of KE Adventure Travel says: “We’ve decided to operate in Nepal this autumn. Bookings are slow, but that’s natural. Many of our clients have been to Nepal before and are keen to go. We’re speaking to people in Nepal every day, and we know the country’s getting back to normal.”
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
In a country like Nepal, people are used to ups and downs.
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