Nepal expects its neighbouring key source markets of India and China to play a critical role in the growth of its tourism sector in the years to come. Dhananjay Regmi, CEO, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) shares what’s in store for the tourism sector of this Himalayan state
With the tourism sector now back on track, what are your plans to promote Nepal in international markets?
We have noticed that travellers are more inclined to explore shorthaul destinations post-lockdown – considering this trend, we will first focus on the Indian market. This year, we have organised 10 sales missions in different parts of India. During our sales missions, we also focused on Indian states that are close to our borders like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, as we believe travellers from these states can easily drive to Nepal thanks to the existing good road infrastructure. In the last couple of years, new five-star properties have also come up on our side of the border which we want to promote among Indian tourists.
Also, considering that hill stations in India – like Darjeeling, Nainital and Shimla – are overcrowded during the summer season, we expect a segment of tourists who can simply drive to Nepal and enjoy the same cool weather in our hills. Moreover, airport development has also taken place on both sides of the border, so travellers can reach these airports and then drive to destinations like Pokhara or Kathmandu.
The other key market for us is China. Since the Chinese market has opened for travel, we have received a number of charter flights. We are now focusing on events that can attract Chinese tourists. We will soon be organising a dragon boat race competition in Pokhara’s Phewa Lake in association with the Chinese embassy – the objective to bring more and more tourists from China. Two charter flights from China will be landing at the Pokhara International Airport for the event, which will be the first international flights landing in Pokhara after the construction of the new international airport.
We are also targeting the countries where Buddhism is being followed. So, we are doing a number of sales missions in markets like Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.
What about longhaul international markets like Europe?
Europe is our regular focus market for adventure activities like trekking and climbing. We have been participating in key trade shows like ITB Berlin, WTM London and FITUR to tap the opportunities vested in the European markets. We are also planning to conduct some promotional activities in North American markets like the US and Canada in the near future. Nepal Airlines is going to operate direct flights to Australia (Sydney), which will help us attract more Australian tourists to Nepal.
What are the products and experiences that you are looking to promote in international markets going ahead?
Traditionally in Nepal, popular tourist destinations have been Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan and Lumbini. These destinations have a good tourism infrastructure in place. However, now in western and eastern Nepal, good hotels have come up too. We will be promoting new destinations, like Dolpa, apart from the existing popular destinations.
Similarly, not many are aware of Bardiya National Park, which has a growing population of tigers. We are looking to promote such lesser-known tourist products in international markets. For the Indian market, we want to attract tourists to religious sites beyond the famed Pashupatinath Temple like Janakpur and Valmiki Ashram. Adventure tourism is one segment that we will continue to promote in all international markets.
The government of Nepal recently declared 2023-2033 as the “Tourism Decade”. What does this announcement mean for the industry?
The announcement was made in the financial budget of 2023-2024 and just showcases the importance of the tourism sector for the Nepalese government. We are looking to create many more employment opportunities for the youth in the tourism sector. We are hoping to reach pre-pandemic international tourist arrival numbers by the end of 2024 and gradually work towards increasing international tourist arrival numbers year-on-year.
With the government’s emphasis on the tourism sector, we are also going to witness a lot of infrastructure developments taking place across the country, be it in terms of roads, airports or hotels. As I mentioned earlier, tourism in Nepal presently is mainly concentrated on four destinations (Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan and Lumbini) and we want to take tourism beyond these destinations. So, following the Tourism Decade announcement, the government is going to ask different provinces to share details of their products and experiences that can be promoted for tourism activities. The idea is to bring forth many hidden gems of our tourism sector and market them internationally.
Sustainability has become a very critical part of tourism growth, especially in the post-lockdown world. How do you look at sustainable tourism?Sustainable tourism is very important for a destination like Nepal that has a fragile geography. At present, we don’t have any benchmarks to measure sustainable tourism practices but we want to involve local ethnic communities in our tourism outreach. So, we are focusing on promoting home stays at places where ethnic groups stay. We will also be emphasising on Eco-tourism activities without compromising on environmental protection.
