“Nepal is now safe, peaceful, and ready to host visitors from around the world” is the message the Himalayan Kingdom is sending out as the country limps back to normalcy following the two-day riots and protests that managed to overthrow the reigning government.
Nearly 50 people were reportedly killed in clashes between Gen Z and police, after citizens took to the streets following a ban on social media platforms by the previous government.
As protests raged, Nepal’s prime minister, KP Sharma Oli, resigned from his post. On Friday, Sushila Karki, the country’s former Supreme Court chief justice, was announced as Nepal’s interim prime minister, becoming the first woman to lead the nation.
Dubai’s Flydubai, which has four daily flights to Kathmandu, has restored all operations. FZ1133A departed five hours later than its scheduled time today (Sunday), but FZ539 took off on time.
On Saturday, curfew was lifted in most parts of the country and the tourism board said most public transport had resumed services.
Tourism is the main driver of Nepal’s economy and according to local newspaper, The Himalayan, the tourism industry has suffered an estimated Nepalese rupees 25 billion (US$17.8 million) loss from the September 8-9 protests, which damaged hotels, disrupted travel, and led to booking cancellations just as the peak tourist season was set to begin.
The paper said that according to a preliminary report by Hotel Association Nepal, more than two dozen hotels were vandalised or looted, including Kathmandu’s Hilton, which alone faces losses exceeding Rs 8 billion. Key destinations such as Pokhara, Bhairahawa, Biratnagar, and Dhangadhi were also affected.
Nepal Tourism Board CEO Deepak Raj Joshi was optimistic of a strong bounce-back and said a recovery plan is ready. He emphasised that “tourism will definitely revive”, citing past disasters like the 2015 earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Joshi, there are currently around 15,000 foreign tourists in the country.
Trade resumes on India-Nepal border
An Indian news outlet, News18, said the situation on the India-Nepal border is getting back to normal as traffic movement resumed at Rupaidiha border. With India being one of the biggest trade partners of the country, a large number of commercial cargo vehicles also crossed the border.
Ganga Singh Udawat, Commandant of the 42nd Battalion of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), told news agency PTI: “With the formation of the new government in Nepal, conditions have started to become normal. Therefore, we did not stop anyone today, although we allowed people to enter the country only after ensuring their identity.”
Several Nepalese youngsters took to social media platforms urging the tourists to return to the “beautiful country”.
