Due to COVID, Nepal’s economy faced a slowdown, the slump in the economy affected employment. 200,000 employees from hotels, restaurants, trekking, mountaineering, airlines and other tourism subsectors in Nepal (Asian Development Bank, 2019) were significantly affected by the pandemic. Tourism, a crucial sector that employs and attracts 11.5 percent of persons engaged in all industries, got slacked.
Nepal, a country filled with contrasts, blessed by nature and culture, attracts millions of tourists yearly. After 2015, the year of the devastating earthquake, tourism was inclining and prosperous for Nepal’s economy. 2020 was the year known to the world as ‘Visit Nepal 2022’.
After the pandemic, the lack of international tourists led to an increase in domestic tourism in Nepal. Our outlook on tourism changed. Tourism doesn't completely rely on foreigners, but on us too. But, domestic tourism hasn’t added much progress to our economy.
Tourists prefer accessibility and affordability. The countries with cheap visa fees and relaxed but firm quarantine protocols attract visitors. No tourist wants to face a hassle while processing their visa. Therefore, the Government of Nepal should make an effort to eliminate visa fees for all available countries and guarantee on-arrival visas to all tourists. We must take tourism forward and find ways so that Nepal becomes a hassle-free option of choice for tourists. “If the 30$ visa fee becomes free, there are multiple benefits for the tourism sector in Nepal,” mentioned Chandra Dhakal, the first generation serial entrepreneur of Nepal.
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