As the search continues for hundreds of foreign nationals and tourists caught in the devastating Bhote Koshi-Trishuli floods, Nepal’s tourism industry is also searching for the people who were there to guide, assist and support those visitors.
Nepal is urging international travellers to continue visiting the country despite devastating floods that have affected several parts of the country, saying most tourism destinations remain safe, accessible and open.
The Rasuwa flood has caused more than Rs 50 billion in preliminary damage to Nepal’s tourism sector, including damage to 142 hotels, 57 restaurants and 141 tourism-related vehicles, Tourism Minister Khadak Raj Paudel said on Wednesday.
Nepal’s major trekking destinations remain safe following the devastating August 26 floods, but damaged access routes and transport links are emerging as the main challenge ahead of the autumn trekking season, according to the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN).
A pre-dawn flood swept away two bridges in Gorkha, while a landslide has disrupted the Tsum Valley trail, prompting authorities and TAAN to urge trekkers to delay their journeys