2020 was supposed to be a big year for Nepalese tourism. The government had launched the ambitious Visit Nepal Year 2020 with the aim of massively increasing visitor numbers to the Himalayan wonderland. But, no sooner had the campaign launched, than Coronavirus (COVID-19) swept across the world and tourism everywhere ground to a sudden halt. Needless to say, the Visit Nepal Year 2020 campaign has been abandoned as Nepal, like the rest of the world, locked down and waits for better days.
But what will the future of travel both worldwide and in particular to Nepal look like? Like much of South Asia, Nepal has, so far at least, escaped the Coronavirus (COVID-19) brush quite lightly.
As of May 16th 2020, the nation had recorded 267 confirmed cases of which 36 people had fully recovered. At the time of writing there had been no recorded deaths.
The first case was confirmed in Nepal on January 24th. That patient had fully recovered within a week. It wasn’t until the 23rd March that Nepal’s second case was confirmed and since then there has been a slow but steady increase in cases.
The good news is that the Nepalese authorities acted very fast in order to contain the outbreak. Between January and March the government busied itself stocking up on essential medical supplies and equipment and spreading public awareness. Land borders were quickly sealed and passengers arriving by air were screened. Then, on March 24th, the day after the second case was confirmed, Nepal went into a full and very strict lockdown. At the moment this is scheduled to be lifted on May 18th (but depending on the situation at the time it may be extended).
International flights into Nepal have been suspended, schools closed and quarantine centres and temporary hospitals established across the country. These early measures might have helped prevent the disease from making too much headway in a country that would otherwise be ill equipped to cope with an outbreak on the scale seen in some other nations.
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As in almost every country, the tourism industry in Nepal has been ravaged by Coronavirus (COVID-19). Hotels and restaurants are boarded up, tour companies are shutting up shop, Nepalese airlines are grounded and the Himalayan trekking trails are devoid of foreign hikers.
But now, as the world slowly and cautiously starts to re-open and people consider a life beyond Coronavirus the Nepalese tourist industry is peering into a crystal ball and wondering what the future of Nepalese and worldwide tourism might look like. And this is what some are seeing.
The entire flying experience will be different. Passengers might be required to wear masks for the duration of flights. On-board meals may not be served. For a time at least the middle seats on planes might be kept free. The price of flying is likely to be fairly cheap when planes first take to the skies again but prices will quickly rise.
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In the world of après Coronavirus tourism, Nepal seems to tick many of the boxes that people will be looking for.
While none of us really have any idea of what tomorrow, next month or next year has in store for worldwide tourism, we can be certain that Nepal’s very professional travel industry as well as the Nepalese government are working hard to get the country re-open, safe and corona-free for future travellers. And that with all it has to offer it’s not a case of if tourists will return to Nepal, but how soon.
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