The Himalaya’s Republic of Nepal registers double-digit growth in international air arrivals from January to August 2012. It means that Nepal will largely surpass the 625,000-visitor’s mark this year.
KATHMANDU- Despite recent mortal avalanches in its crowded Himalayan mountains, Nepal is heading into a record year in tourist arrivals in 2012. According to data for the first eight months of the year, arrivals by air progressed by 16.3%, reaching a record of 377,043 international arrivals. Strong growth is coming from Nepal’s two giant neighbours, India and China. Indian air arrivals jumped by 24.1% from January to August, topping 126,472 arrivals. China performed even better with a growth of 27.5%, reaching a total of 31,204 visitors. Other Asian markets showing strong performances are Japan, up by 17.9%, Korea (up y 12.3%) and Malaysia (up by 11.9%).
Surprisingly, Europe performed extremely well despite the current economic recession. Total air arrivals from the continent reached 91,042, a 14.8% improvement over 2011… Europe remains an extremely important market for Nepal, generating 24.1% of all arrivals between January and August of this year.
Tourism experts point out that the very good performance of tourism this year is also due to the restrictions taking place for foreigners trying to visit Tibet. Talking recently to CNN, Grayson Schaffer, senior editor at Outside magazine, declared that Mount Manaslu proved particularly popular this year among travellers after Chinese authorities restricted tourist visas, making access difficult to Cho Oyu or Shishapangma, two 8,000m (26,000 ft) peaks on the border with Tibet.
Strong interest to trek in Nepal is likely to continue as the government unveiled early October new trekking routes, following promises made to former Maoist rebels to help them economically by promoting tourism. The new trekking routes –named the “Guerilla Trek” pass through the battlegrounds of the country’s decade-long insurgency. Hikers will then be able to discover unspoilt natural landscapes, authentic centuries-old villages, which served once as bases for Maoist troups.
The government hopes that tourism will help spreading prosperity beyond the usual tourist sites of the the Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara and the Everest region. A few guest-houses are currently available for potential tourists interested to venture into Maoists’ steps!
Table- Top air arrivals to Nepal by nationality
|
Country |
JAN-AUGUST 2011 |
JAN-AUGUST 2012 |
GROWTH 2012/2011 |
MARKET SHARE |
|
India |
101 919 |
126 472 |
24,1% |
33,5% |
|
China |
24 479 |
31 204 |
27,5% |
8,3% |
|
U.S.A. |
22 385 |
24 456 |
9,3% |
6,5% |
|
Bangladesh |
10 802 |
11 548 |
6,9% |
3,1% |
|
U.K. |
18 940 |
19 610 |
3,5% |
5,2% |
|
Japan |
11 937 |
14 077 |
17,9% |
3,7% |
|
Germany |
10 618 |
13 341 |
25,6% |
3,5% |
|
S. Korea |
11 462 |
12 873 |
12,3% |
3,4% |
|
France |
11 802 |
12 601 |
6,8% |
3,3% |
|
Total |
324 062 |
377 043 |
16,3% |
100,0% |
