As for now, the government should focus on controlling the virus so that another lockdown will not be necessary

It’s that time of the year when all tourism hotspots from Kathmandu and Pokhara to Chitwan and the Everest region would have been flooded with foreign visitors going sightseeing or partaking in any one of the many adventure activities that Nepal has on offer.

But tourists did not come during the spring tourist season in April-May, and they are not coming this autumn, thanks to the pandemic that has wrought havoc across the world. Nepal may have opened up after months of a strict lockdown was eased, but that does not mean foreign travellers will start streaming in, at least not this year. No one knows for sure how long this pandemic will last, and it has already thrown tens of thousands of people out of their jobs. With Europe and America in the midst of a second wave of the pandemic, travel fears are bound to keep visitors away for many more months to come. Such uncertainty is bad news for a sector that is one of Nepal’s largest foreign exchange earners and the largest provider of employment that is not limited to the Kathmandu Valley.

With the easing of the lockdown, both the government and tourism entrepreneurs had sounded somewhat optimistic that things might change for the better. However, under the situation prevailing in the country, it is unlikely that foreign tourists can be lured to Nepal. The spread of the coronavirus has been spiralling out of control in the country in recent weeks, with daily new infections of more than 2,500, the bulk of them concentrated in the capital.

Nepal’s caseload stands at more than 170,000 infections and 950 deaths, with 60,000 active cases. Hospitals are running out of beds and ventilators for coronavirus patients in the country. It is against this backdrop that the government had required a seven-day quarantine for all foreigners arriving here. However, the tourism entrepreneurs say this rule plus the $5,000 COVID-19 insurance is simply ridiculous. Anxiety about the quality of health facilities available in the country should one fall sick is another hurdle to attracting tourists.

But can something be done so that the sector does not suffer any further? Maybe the tourism industry could focus on domestic tourists. Although a tourist in Nepali parlance is a foreigner, a Nepali is known to be just as high a spender or even a bigger one. But again, their ability to travel or venture out into the wilderness depends upon their disposal income. At a time when most Nepalis working in the private sector have not received their salaries for months now, an excursion might be the last thing in their mind.

Also, can security be guaranteed to anyone who wants to travel or go trekking at this hour? Many villagers along the trekking routes, for instance, are averse to the idea of having visitors from outside for fear of contracting the virus. The Everest region was sealed at short notice after an outbreak of the virus there with the start of the Dashain festival. The challenges are many, but careful planning without resorting to ad hoc measures might help revive the industry next year. As for now, the government should focus on controlling the virus so that another lockdown, as in some countries of Europe, will not be necessary.

Agro-scheme

As the COVID-19 pandemic has rendered hundreds of thousands of youths jobless within the country and outside, as many as 78,000 people have applied for the Agriculture and Livestock Development Programme (ALDP) in Sudurpaschim Province.

According to the province, 70,000 people have applied for raising livestock and the rest for farming.

Most of the people in the far-western province tend to migrate to India for seasonal jobs. The province has released Rs 150 million for the ALDP, which will be disbursed in two tranches for the selected youths. It would be better if the provincial government provides funds to the youths only after the latter undergo the required training in farming or livestock rearing. There is a tendency among our youths to stop engaging in farming once they receive the funds. This should be discouraged by applying stringent measures. Sharing of knowledge and technology is very important to give a boost to agriculture and livestock farming. The knowledge and expert centres that the provincial government has set up should leave no stones unturned to realise its goal of making it self-reliant in food.