The world is crying with Nepal. But far from being a valley of lost hope, a new Nepal could rise from the ashes of the monster earthquake
In the face of a tragedy that looks hopeless and desperate, industry members are envisioning a new Nepal rising from the ashes of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck an area between the capital Kathmandu and the city of Pokhara on April 25, the worst since the one that hit Nepal in 1934.
As the world watched in horror at the mounting loss of lives and crumbling heritage monuments, industry players said humanitarian aid is of course the top priority, but believe the disaster is an opportunity for Nepal to rebuild itself later.
As a destination, Nepal was seeing growth. Adventure tour operator Intrepid Travel was enjoying a rise in bookings every year since peace was declared with Maoist insurgents end-2006, said co-founder Darrell Wade. When the quake struck, it had 160 clients either in Kathmandu or on mountain treks, and counts itself lucky the travellers and staff were safe, as getting them back to Kathmandu then home was a feat due to disrupted telecommunications and road/air services.
Likewise, Nepal was doing “extremely well” this year for Marco Polo Reisen, after the long-awaited return of wide-body longhaul flights from Europe by Turkish Airlines. The study tour operator had various small groups strolling through the city at the time of the quake, which made it more difficult to locate them all. Fortunately, a number of the clients had given Marco Polo their mobile numbers before the trip and the operator was able to gather all of them at an agreed meeting place. “Until their departure they stayed in the ground floor of the hotel and finally left the country as planned on Monday evening. The most difficult thing throughout these days was keeping the contact with our local partner due to the non-functional landlines,” said Marco Polo’s managing director, Holger Baldus.
Political stability and arrivals growth gained the attention of foreign investors and, according to Nepal’s Department of Industry, foreign investment commitments in the tourism sector rose a whopping 389 per cent to Rs1.75 billion (US$26.8 million) in the first five months of the current fiscal year over the same period in 2013/14. Commitments were received for 50 tourism projects from investors from 22 countries, twice as many the 23 projects pledged in 2013/2014 fiscal year. The investors were from 22 countries, including Asia-Pacific countries such as China, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea. Among the projects were hotels, casinos and adventure tourism activities.
But what Nepal needs, even before the earthquake, are the ‘basics’ – proper roads, vehicles, toilets, etc, which rotted over the years as tourists stayed away due to its political instability, said industry players. This is why they are pinning hopes on a rebuilding effort “with a vision”.
“Infrastructure has to be restored as soon as possible – but with a vision!” said Baldus. “This catastrophe has to be seen as an opportunity, as (poor) transportation has always been critical, even on the main trunk routes. Flight safety and road safety have to be improved, not only for tourists but for every single person in Nepal.”
David Keen, CEO of Quo Global, a branding agency, called for a “leader” in the rebuilding effort.
“It is critical for the government to repair quickly the damage to base camps at Everest. Adventurers understand the risks with mountaineering but require basic facilities that can be repaired and even improved upon for the next climbing season. I believe this is an opportunity and a marketing opportunity for the country.
“The tourism industry demands a leader who will be able to turn the destruction into a road to recovery and eventually an opportunity. I would think that leader could well come from outside of Nepal,” said Keen, adding that one of the tragedies is the government, and particularly the tourism authority, are ill-equipped to deal with the extensive crisis management required for the industry. Yet, unless Nepal reacts quickly, its image will have a longterm association with tragedy, which will make the recovery period longer, said Keen.
“The loss of World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu is irreparable and so heartbreaking. Yet the magic that is Kathmandu and Thamel will sustain. Ironically it is most likely the hardy backpackers – the original founders of tourism to Nepal – will return quickly and the perception of the country and its recovery will be reflected through them. Very important, therefore, for Thamel to be restored as efficiently as possible as this will be the source of both income and perception in the near future,” Keen said.
PATA CEO Mario Hardy added that Nepal must not let up on marketing and be forgotten. “The first priority is for Nepal to focus its attention on the basic humanitarian help, then rebuild its infrastructure and hopefully find some external assistance to rebuild its historical sites. Despite these tragedies, and the financial burden they may bring to the nation, it is important for Nepal to continue to market the destination and be present at trade shows. Often we see a destination cutting its marketing spending after a tragedy, which is the wrong approach. It needs to carefully think about the messaging, but relations with the media is also key.”
At press time, TTG Asia could not get through to Nepal tourism industry players. PATA, too, was not able to get any feedback from its Nepal chapter members due to a challenge with communications.
Humanitarian aid has been forthcoming, with some US$21 million raised globally as of April 29. The tourism industry has not shied away: Intrepid, for example, started an appeal on Day 2 of the disaster and raised A$208,000 (US$167,000) within 36 hours, and growing. The amount raised goes directly to Nepal, with Intrepid paying for all the administration costs, apart from contributing significantly itself.
PATA Foundation has established a Nepal Earthquake Tourism Recovery Fund, to which it has contributed US$10,000. “Without question, we anticipate a great need for reconstruction of iconic heritage and culture sites as well as interventions to help people and organisations rebuild their tourism businesses,” said PATA Foundation chairman Peter Semone.
Quo Global was exploring the possibility of helping to create a brand initiative to bring back tourism to the country.
Said Intrepid’s Wade: “As an industry and a travelling public, we have a responsibility to pitch in when destinations need assistance. Apart from being a normal humanitarian response, we also have a vested interest to help each other out. If we act together in our support it’s like a built-in insurance policy – you never know when you’ll need that support yourself.”
Added Marco Polo’s Baldus: “We should not leave Nepal alone. Although the quake will have its impact on the rest of the season, the country and its people deserve our full support. Tours to Nepal, especially to Kathmandu Valley, may look different in the future, but Nepal remains a fascinating country worth visiting. Consequently help has to come from all possible sides.”
Keep faith, said Brett Tollman, CEO, The Travel Corporation, pointing to how Japan, for example, recovered faster than expected from the tsunami.
Said Tollman: “We need to keep faith in the great capacity of the human spirit and heart to grieve, recover and then move on, stronger and more resilient than before.
“If we look back on some of the awful natural disasters of just the past 10 years, in almost every case much recovery has been achieved, and tourism has slowly but surely recovered and returned. Just look at Japan and how the recovery happened faster than expected, in many cases without government involvement as the locals got on with it. Today, inbound tourism is as strong as ever, and one hears of capacity problems with hotels, airlift and more.”
This article was first published in TTG Asia, May 15, 2015 issue, on page 16. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.
