What ways tourism could be better in Nepal?

-- Avishek Khanal (EMBA) (Tourism, Economy, Energy, Environment) ?>

Nepal is a popular destination for fresh river rafting, mountaineers, rock climbers, and adventure seekers. With eight of the world’s ten highest mountains, Nepal has great potential to attract tourist from all over all the world. Tourism brings revenue through foreign exchange earnings and one of the foundations of the Nepalese economy is due to tourism. The exchange rate, or the price of one currency in terms of another, influences a country’s economic health. Tourism also creates employment opportunities specially in rural mountains or high hill areas like accommodation centres, motels, canteens, cafes, rural transport, etc where only income would be through tourism. Most of the people residing in those areas are totally dependent upon tourist arrivals. According to World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) “While countries often tend to focus on international tourism due to the revenue earned through exports, domestic tourism remains the leading form of tourism, representing an important tool for regional economic growth and development. Moreover, domestic tourism helps address seasonality within regions, while also dispersing tourists to less visited rural areas, which tend to be overlooked by foreign visitors”. People are eyeing the results of local government election and so much hope for the politically stable Nepal. People are anticipating that the unnecessary strikes, timely waste management and poor environment conditions would improve so that we get more and more tourists in Nepal especially in big cities like Kathmandu. Nepalese people mostly youths have so much hope from Balen Shah, strong candidate from independent category, that he would manage Kathmandu effectively. Kathmandu, a major tourist destination, is the key place for majority of tourists arrivals through airways. The first impression is the last impression, all the tourism industry related people anticipate a better, safe and sustainable tourism environment. As a sum, who ever wins this election, primary way for better Nepal is through political stability and needs to promote a campaign like “VISIT NEPAL 1998” to welcome more international arrivals and to minimise the seasonality issue should promote the domestic tourism.