NEPAL QUAKE: 80% of tourists cancel reservations

[webfact]

NEPAL QUAKE: 80% of tourists cancel reservations
Sangam Prasain
The Kathmandu Post

KATHMANDU: -- Hoteliers have reported that 80 per cent of “spring breakers” have cancelled their reservations after a 7.9 magnitude earthquake rattled the country on April 25, causing widespread devastation. The future of Nepal’s high-end tourism is also in jeopardy after an avalanche in the Mt Everest region put the climbing season in uncertainty.

An estimated 45,000 tourists have left the country since the quake, leaving the tourism industry in the lurch.

Hoteliers said they have stopped new bookings while cancellation of advance bookings is on the rise.

Prabesh Aryal, executive director of the Hotel Association of Nepal, the apex body of hotel industry, said that the industry expects the repercussion of the earthquake could last for next six months.

Ashok Pokhrel, president of the Nepal Association of Tour Operators, said that cancellation of advance booking would cross 90 per cent soon due to problem with safety in Nepal.

“The spring season is ruined but we are now looking for autumn season.”

Most of the five-star properties have not accepted new bookings. Hoteliers said the government team is assessing most of the hotels building to certify whether it is fit to live in. “After the certification, hotels will be resuming their normal business,” said Aryal.

The popular Soaltee Hotel plans to open on Tuesday while other five-star hotels like Hyatt Regency began operating after April 29.

Hotel Yak & Yeti has not closed its operation as it did not sustain major damage. Bharat Joshi, resident manager of the hotel, said that they were fully occupied as of Monday by the guests, mostly foreign rescue teams, media personnel, members of international agencies and some tourist.

“But we are not sure on our occupancy after mid-May,” Joshi said, adding that in the last few days, 40 per cent of their advance bookings have been cancelled.

Hoteliers said that even if the occupancies hover to around 30-40 percent in May-August period, it would be a big relief for them.

“We encourage travellers to come back to Nepal soon after the country starts a sign of recovery from the recent disaster,” said Pokhrel.

Full story: http://www.asianewsnet.net/news-74730.html


-- ANN 2015-05-05

[Somtamnication]

It will take a lot longer than 6 months for tourists to come back.

Rhetorical question: wonder why 80% of the tourists did not cancel Thailand holidays after last year's coup?

[Credo]

It will take a lot longer than 6 months for tourists to come back.

Rhetorical question: wonder why 80% of the tourists did not cancel Thailand holidays after last year's coup?

You mean a Coup that primarily happened in BKK and had little effect on any tourist?

It is quite disingenuous to compare a devastating earthquake in which thousands of people die and hundreds of thousands are without proper food and shelter to a coup in Thailand.

Oh and I don't think we knew how many people canceled because of the coup.

[zydeco]

Who are the crazy 20 percent who did NOT cancel?

[Credo]

Who are the crazy 20 percent who did NOT cancel?

Some people may have strong connections to or with the country. They may have business interests or family members or other connections that would cause them not to cancel. Some may not have gotten around to canceling yet and I am assuming that there are areas of the country that are not too badly affected.

[zydeco]

Who are the crazy 20 percent who did NOT cancel?

Some people may have strong connections to or with the country. They may have business interests or family members or other connections that would cause them not to cancel. Some may not have gotten around to canceling yet and I am assuming that there are areas of the country that are not too badly affected.

I can understand that. But at this point, with a bottleneck so bad that aid deliveries cannot get through, I find it hard to believe that some people can still think of making tourist reservations, which is what I thought the topic was about. Priority, IMO, should be getting aid in and tourists out until the country has recovered.

[ggt]

The other 20% did not get the memo...

[fred Kubasa]

So, 2 of 10 tourists are insane !

[craigt3365]

I just saw a videdo Sowing an entire village gone. Some 50 guesthouses, maybe 500 people. All gone. Langtang.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32585356

Just not the time to go there for treks. Though they probably desperately need the money.

[Johnny S]

Nepal should ask TAT to make a press release for them - would sound something like this:

"The Earthquake has not had any negative impact on tourism - We expect an increase of 5,000,000 tourists in the following months"