Contents
Tourism In Nepal
Who are Tourists?
Tourists are the people who move from one place to another within the country or beyond for recreation, business, adventure, and more.
I am simple. Tourists are the people who travel for a period of 24 hours or more in a country other than that they belong to.
There are different types of tourists types, according to various peoples and agencies.
The two simple types of tourists are:
- Domestic or internal tourists.
- International or foreign tourists
What is Tourism?
Any business activities that are involved in providing accommodation, fooding, lodging, supplies, services and experiences to the tourists is known as the tourism industry.
The tourism industry is a very vast one. It is big and extensive. It is a heterogeneous mixture of many other industries. For example, the tourism industry comprises of small tea shop to big resorts, small taxi drivers to big hotel entrepreneurs.
In simple tourism industry comprises of hotels, resorts, tea shops, travel agencies, airports, airlines, attractions and more. It is a mixture of heterogeneous products and services that makes the Tourism Industry.
Tourism Industry In Nepal
The tourism industry is one of the amazingly fast-growing industry in the world, and so is in Nepal. It is one of the major revenue-generating sources for Nepal.
Read about the interesting History of Tourism in Nepal.
Tourism Statistics of Nepal
In the fiscal year, 2063/2064 1.2% of the total GDP was credited by the tourism industry in Nepal. Similarly, in the year 2014, 1.97% of the total GDP was contributed by the Tourism industry in Nepal.
According to the world travel and tourism council (WTTC), the contribution of Nepal travel and tourism to GDP was Rs 85.3 billion in the year 2016.
A total number of 969,287 tourists visited Nepal by airways, and 203,785 tourists visited Nepal by land ways in the year 2018. This 1 million mark is amazing.
Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has started the Visit Nepal 2020 campaign to bring two million tourists by 2020. But there are many issues to cater to this huge mark. The major issues include airports, accommodation and overall saying visitors carrying capacity.
Also Read: Tourism And Aviation Scenario In Nepal
NTB also said that there is a 17% increase in tourist arrivals in Nepal in the year 2018 compared to the year 2017.
According to Nepal Tourism Board statistics, the following is tourist arrivals by the country through the month of September 2018:
- A total of 969,287 tourists arrived in Nepal through airways. And a number of 203,785 tourists visited Nepal in the year 2018 via landways.
- Nepal observed a notable rise in Chinese tourists as more than 50,000 Chinese toured Nepal in the year 2018.
- Tourists from SAARC Countries grew by 26.3 percents with India alone recording more than 200,000 tourists
- Nepal also witnessed a 55 percents rise in Sri Lankan tourist visits as compared to the year 2017.
- Likewise, American, Australian, English and European tourists visiting Nepal have also increased
Tourist Arrivals In Nepal From The Year 1993-2016.
| Year | Number of international tourists arriving in Nepal | % change from previous year |
| 1993 | 293,567 | -12.2% |
| 1994 | 326,531 | +11.2% |
| 1995 | 363,395 | +11.3% |
| 1996 | 393,613 | +8.3% |
| 1997 | 421,857 | +7.2% |
| 1998 | 463,684 | +9.9% |
| 1999 | 491,504 | +6.0% |
| 2000 | 463,646 | -5.7% |
| 2001 | 361,237 | -22.1% |
| 2002 | 275,468 | -23.7 |
| 2003 | 338,132 | +22.7% |
| 2004 | 385,297 | +13.9% |
| 2005 | 375,398 | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 383,926 | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 526,705 | +37.3% |
| 2008 | 500,277 | -5.0% |
| 2009 | 509,956 | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 602,867 | +18.2% |
| 2011 | 736,215 | +22.1% |
| 2012 | 803,092 | +9.1% |
| 2013 | 797,616 | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 790,118 | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 538,970 | -31% |
| 2016 | 753,002 | +40% |
| 2017 | 940,218 | +24.8% |
| 2018 | 1,173,072 | +24.8% |
Importance of Tourism In Nepal
- Source of foreign currency.
- Supports cottage and handicraft industries.
- Development of physical infrastructures.
- Conservation of art and culture.
- Increase in trade.
- Motivation to attain a global standard.
- Encourages civic engagement and pride.
- Promotes the preservation and celebration of local festivals and cultural events.
Cost of Tourism Industry In Nepal
- Guests lifestyles and beliefs conflict with the communities.
- Over tourism.
- Environmental effects.
- Diseases and drugs.
- Crowding and congestion.
- May threaten special natural resources.
- Deterioration of physical resources.
- Economic leakages.
- Seasonal jobs.
Strengths of Nepal as a Tourism County
Nepal holds eight of the ten highest mountains in the world, Nepal is an awesome spot for mountain lovers, and people who solicit adventure. Nepal being the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha, has a point of attraction to around 488 million Buddhist tourists worldwide.
There are around 1.08 billion Hindus worldwide who are expected to visit the holy shrine Pashupatinath. A total of approx. 95% Hindus alone live in India, who have the easiest access to Nepal.
Nepal is home of the different endangered flora and faunas including tigers, one-horned rhino, and over 1000 species of birds. We can find a variety of diversity in plants in short distance walk.
Nepal is a heaven for culture lovers. Nepal consists of tons of different cultures, languages, creeds, folk songs, festival, etc.
Tourism is a Goose for Nepal which will lay golden eggs if implemented and planned well. So the government should identify the above mentioned unique stuff to utilize them best.
