Nepal's damaged tourism industry now faces fuel crisis
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Ethnic groups' protests and fuel shortages are again affecting Nepal tourism industry, yet not fully recovered from the devastating earthquake in April
The expected comeback of Nepal's travel industry has failed to happen due to protests and fuel shortages that started in August and that the country still experiences. Specialists say that Nepal's industry will take at least a year to recover.
Tourists that planned to visit Nepal began canceling their trips, as Hari Man Lama of Kathmandu-based Incentive Tours explains: "We have already had at least 40 percent cancellations from tourists who had planned to visit Nepal in autumn season, and that number is expected to be much, much more.”
Nepal is a poor Himalayan country that needs tourist money for most of its imports. Last year, 790.000 foreign tourists visited Nepal. This year, the number is expected to drop considerably.
The April earthquake killed 8,900 people and totally devastated thousands of houses. As the country is still rebuilding itself from the disaster, political problems emerge to further fuel travel industry breakdown.
Madhesi ethnic groups protests against the new constitution blocked the Indian border and by doing so they stopped the country fuel supplies, creating a black market for gasoline and other goods.
Lack of gas affected transport and restaurants in an unprecedented fuel crisis.
"The first priority of the new government is to resolve the protests and then fully restore the fuel supply," said Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa.
To resolve the situation, Nepal's newly installed government has been negotiating with the ethnic minorities in an attempt to fulfill their autonomy and redraw of state boundaries demands.
The expected comeback of Nepal's travel industry has failed to happen due to protests and fuel shortages that started in August and that the country still experiences. Specialists say that Nepal's industry will take at least a year to recover.
Tourists that planned to visit Nepal began canceling their trips, as Hari Man Lama of Kathmandu-based Incentive Tours explains: "We have already had at least 40 percent cancellations from tourists who had planned to visit Nepal in autumn season, and that number is expected to be much, much more.”
Nepal is a poor Himalayan country that needs tourist money for most of its imports. Last year, 790.000 foreign tourists visited Nepal. This year, the number is expected to drop considerably.
The April earthquake killed 8,900 people and totally devastated thousands of houses. As the country is still rebuilding itself from the disaster, political problems emerge to further fuel travel industry breakdown.
Madhesi ethnic groups protests against the new constitution blocked the Indian border and by doing so they stopped the country fuel supplies, creating a black market for gasoline and other goods.
Lack of gas affected transport and restaurants in an unprecedented fuel crisis.
"The first priority of the new government is to resolve the protests and then fully restore the fuel supply," said Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa.
To resolve the situation, Nepal's newly installed government has been negotiating with the ethnic minorities in an attempt to fulfill their autonomy and redraw of state boundaries demands.
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