Go Nepal e-Magazine

INTERVIEW
Andrew Jones is a vice-chairman of the
Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).
An experienced crisis management expert,
he has worked as a key person in various
countries that have suffered disasters like
the 2002 Bali bombing, 2004 Thailand
tsunami and 2014 Philippines typhoon
besides Egypt and Japan. As PATA has
taken the initiative to help and support
the bounce-back campaign for Nepal’s
tourism industry, in his recent visit to
Nepal, he highlighted PATA’s initiative to
help rebuild Nepal tourism and the perception
tourists have towards the quakeaffected
country.
NEPAL IS SAFE
TO TRAVEL
Is Nepal safe for travellers? What kind of message
has been disseminated abroad? How do you assess
the current and future scenarios?
I have visited Nepal several times. My first impression
towards Nepal after the April 25 deadly
earthquake was that the country had been devastated.
The international media reports showed
that everything had been destroyed. But when I
arrived here, it was much better than I had anticipated.
To be honest, I didn’t have any problems
visiting the country. No dangers at all. In general,
I don’t find Nepal unsafe to visit. There are many
places in Nepal that have escaped the disaster, and
there are many places to visit. But businesses are
not normal yet. Like me, visitors need to know the
reality that many places are safe to visit. We are
not actually saying that the situation has become
normal and come from tomorrow. But it’s going to
be on the right track soon.
Can Nepal emerge as an attractive tourism destination
from the devastation caused by the earthquake?
How long will it take?
Except for a few places, every destination is intact.
As tourism is a mainstay of the country’s economy
and has created a big impact on the livelihoods of
the people, Nepal should focus on rebranding and
diversifying its products in a unique and sustainable
way. We are also holding discussions with some
branding experts to rebrand Nepal’s image. Bailing
out the industry is challenging, but it is also
an opportunity for Nepal to focus on sustainable
tourism. It’s the right time for the government and
the private sector to concentrate on good and quality
infrastructure, particularly road networks and
airports.
Obviously, good infrastructure is the driver of
business as well as the country’s prosperity. Nepal
currently should look for its traditional market
segments like India and the European countries.
Focused promotions in new markets like China
could be a key to reinvigorating tourism. However,
it’s too early to say how long Nepal will take to
recover fully. But I am sure many people across the
world are interested in visiting here, if they know
the reality and feel a sense of safety and security.
When is the right time to invite tourists?
Yes, I would say September is the valid goal. The
autumn season augurs well for Nepal’s tourism.
There is a lot of work to be done to motivate tourists
to visit Nepal. Some of the restrictions like
the travel advisories and insurance policies of a
number of countries are the factors that PATA
is looking into currently. We are working on how
such policies can be modified to encourage visitors
to come here. Based on our initial assessment,
there is enough room to make tourists visit Nepal
this autumn. After all, Nepal needs business at this
time.