Go Nepal e-Magazine

When thinking about the future of Nepal and its tourism
industry, there are several dimensions to consider.
Tourist destinations are becoming increasingly aware of the
devastating impacts that natural disasters can have on their
industries. Organisations at all levels have begun to promote
or develop tools to increase disaster preparedness and management
of the sector.
Examples include the Global
Sustainable Tourism Council’s
destination standards,
the best practice guide for
tourism risk management
developed by APEC (Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation),
and local action plans (for
example, in New Zealand).
To date, not many destinations
have implemented these
tools. Tourists are typically
not accounted for as vulnerable
groups in national
disaster plans. Nepal’s 2008
National Strategy for Disaster
Risk Management does
not mention tourism at all.
A similar omission has
also been revealed for New
Zealand’s civil defense and
emergency management
plans in an assessment of the
impacts of the Christchurch
earthquakes on the visitor
economy.
The Christchurch evaluation
identified areas where tourism-specific
plans are critical.
These include the evacuation
of foreign visitors (involving
embassies, airlines and a
range of other stakeholders),
dedicated communication
channels for visitors inside
and outside the affected area,
and industry assistance to aid
a speedy recovery of tourism infrastructure and businesses.
The limited availability of helicopters seriously hampered
rescue operations in Nepal. Many of the most devastated
regions can only be accessed by helicopters, but Nepal has
only about a dozen functioning ones.
that tourism is the backbone of the economy and perceptions
of safety are critical to future tourist arrivals—or
whether a life is a life.
Another critical touch point between disaster relief and
tourism is the airport. Following a disaster, airports become
a bottleneck for fleeing foreigners (and locals who can afford
it) and incoming assistance. As part of a country’s critical
infrastructure network, airports need to be highly prepared
and drilled for disasters.
Several newspapers and social media reported chaotic scenes
at Kathmandu’s airport. The airport was unable to handle
incoming cargo planes.
More than five years ago, it had been decided to upgrade
Gautam Buddha Airport as a secondary hub to Kathmandu
that can handle larger international flights. The Asian Development
Bank agreed on a loan in 2012, and the foundation
stone was laid in January 2015. The process has been too
slow to be of assistance in this present disaster.
As the case of the Christchurch earthquakes has already
demonstrated, tourism businesses can provide invaluable resources
to the disaster response. For example, a scenic flight
operator in Nepal reported having brought 1,000 victims
back to Kathmandu in its helicopters. Holidaymakers were
seen helping dig locals out of the rubble. Trekkers reportedly
shared food and other provisions with locals in remote villages
and carried valuable equipment such as satellite phones
and first aid kits.
However, it is important to proceed with caution in restoring
the tourism industry. A statement by Mountain Explore
Treks & Expedition in mid-May to encourage travellers to go
to Nepal—“We are pleased to inform you that Nepal is now
safe to visit”—is irresponsible as long as the rescue and recovery
operations are not complete and large aftershocks are
to be expected. Buildings are compromised, mountain slopes
are unstable and large aftershocks pose a serious risk.
A more measured response, adopted by several other tour
companies, is to raise funds and provide support (for example,
to donate tents) to earthquake survivors.
From a management and marketing perspective, Nepal will
benefit from communicating clearly to prospective tourists
which areas of Nepal are safe to travel (for example, the
Royal Chitwan National Park) and how the rebuild of infrastructure
in other areas (for example, the Mt Everest Valley)
is progressing. In addition, it is important that the global
tourism industry and inter-governmental bodies support a
swift recovery process.
Most importantly, in the long term, it is essential that people
travel to Nepal again in the future and contribute to its recovery
by spending generously. (The Conversation)
To a large extent, the immediate rescue effort focused on
climbers and Sherpa’s in the Mt Everest region, raising ethical
concerns. Leading mountaineers such as Reinhold Messner
commented on a morally questionable two-class rescue.
Fights over life-saving helicopter space were also observed in
the devastated Langtang Valley.
Clearly, a debate is necessary over whether it is in the interest
of the country to save foreign tourists—for the sole reason