emples and views of nature have always been a tourist draw in Nepal. From early visitors, like British resident representative Francis Hamilton and French Scholar Silva Levi, to today’s travel operators and backpackers, everyone has relished the mystery and beauty on the lap of the high Himalayas.
In his book, History of Nepal, first published in 1877, Francis Hamilton describes Kathmandu as a city of temples surrounded by beautiful mountains.
Similarly, Silva Levi, a French scholar, extols the temples and architects of Kathmandu valley in his book Le Nepal: Etude Historique d’un Royaume Hindu.
Even modern day visitors maintain similar interests. “ Nepal is such a beautiful country,” Rafal, a journalist from Spain, told the media recently, “Everybody must visit it.”
For American travel operator and entrepreneur Michael Kobold, “ Nepal is a country blessed with unique products which have strongly presented it in the world map.”
As Nepal is celebrating the World Tourism Day on 27th of September as an annual event, it also gives an opportunity for the travel trade authorities and others concerned to prepare for the mega-event, namely, Nepal Tourism Year 2011, a campaign announced by the government with an ambition to increase the arrival of tourists up to one million by the year.
This is, without doubt, an occasion to take Nepal to the global tourism market for its share of visitors and introduce its diverse products abroad.
“Nepal Tourism Year 2011 is a national program and in order to entrust the ownership of all the individuals and agencies to make it successful, all district development committees should earmark at least some percentages of their budgets for tourism development with a ‘one district, one destination’ approach,” said Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Sarat Singh Bhandari.
NTB organized the last such event in 1998 launching major marketing campaigns to sell Nepalese products during the Visit Nepal Year-1998 to global markets.
“Within limited resources and other constraints, Nepal Tourism Board is now preparing for the mega event of 2011,” said Prachanda Man Shrestha, Chief Executive Officer of NTB.
According to Nepal Tourism Statistics 2008, 500,277 tourists visited Nepal in 2008. In 2007, 526,705 visitors came here. The year 2002 was one of the most dismal years after 1990 when just 275,468 tourists visited Nepal.
After several years of decline, Nepal’s tourism sector started to rebound after 2003 when the figures crossed 338,000. Years 2004, 2005 and 2006 retained the number at over 350,000. It was only after signing of comprehensive peace agreement, the tourism industry bounced back.
Despite several beautiful destinations, Nepal is yet to lure a large number of tourists who would relish them. At the moment, however, thanks to the limited number of destinations up for sale, Nepal cannot extend the stay of tourists beyond a certain time.
With the robust rise of number of tourist arrivals between 1990 and1998, which was up to half a million, Nepal saw a drastic reduction in the number of tourists after 2001 with the intensification of the Maoist insurgency.
Since the hijacking of Indian Airlines in 1999, Nepal’s tourism started to decline. The Royal massacre of 2001 and the growing Maoist insurgency pushed it to the brink. Following the signing of comprehensive peace agreement in 2006 between the government and Maoists, the situation gradually turned towards normalcy and tourism industry rebounded again.
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