Arrivals up, stay duration down

Posted by: NTN  | Date: July 15, 2010

Tourist arrivals in Nepal increased by 1.9 percent in 2009, however, their average length of stay has declined.

According to the Economic Survey 2009/10, the average length of stay has gone down from 11.8 days in 2008 to 11.6 days in 2009.

Tourists had started staying longer in the country in 2006 following the comprehensive peace accord ending the Maoist conflict. Since then, however, it has been decreasing constantly.

Tourism entrepreneurs say that tourist stay in Nepal has been affected by political uncertainty, strikes and bandas. Hotels too suffered labour unrest in 2009 forcing visitors to cut short their Nepal tour.

“One of the reasons behind the drop in tourist stay could be the global recession which prompted vacationers to opt for shorter holidays,” said Raju Bikram Shah, general manager of the Shangri-La Hotel.

“We didn’t see a drastic change in tourist stay,” said David Yonjan of Yeti Travels. “The length of stay depends on the tour package.”

Tourist entrepreneurs are hopeful of the length of stay increasing with the number of tourists coming for recreation growing. As per the Economic Survey, 34 percent of the arrivals in 2009 came for recreation compared to 29.6 percent in 2008.  Tourism entrepreneurs say that if the political situation remains stable, the trend of taking longer holidays could increase.

“The significant rise in the number of visitors coming for recreation is a result of the increasing options for leisure activities in Nepal,” said Prachanda Man Shrestha, chief executive officer of the Nepal Tourism Board. According to the Economic Survey, there has been a marginal increment in the number of visitors coming for pilgrimage from 9 percent in 2008 to 10.4 percent in 2009. Tourists putting down trekking and mountaineering as their purpose of visit amounted to 20.9 percent in 2009.

Likewise, 4.7 percent came for trade, 7.6 percent for formal visit and 1.4 percent for meetings and seminars.

Declining stay

Year    2009    2008    2007

Days    11.60    11.78    11.96

Purpose of visit

Year    2009    2008    2007

Recreation    34.0     29.6    30.6

Trek/Mountaineering    20.9     21.0    19.20

Pilgrimage    10.4    9.0    10.0

Trade    4.7    4.6    4.6

Formal visit     7.6    8.6    8.6

Meeting/seminar    1.4    1.4    1.4

Other purposes    15.6    19.9    19.5

Undefined purposes    5.0    5.9    6.3

 

MORE:

• Ratnanagar Mahotsav from January 11, 2012 | January 02, 2012
• Longest Himalayan glacier melting away at rapid pace | December 27, 2011
• Nepali gov't to launch Visit Lumbini Year 2012 | December 22, 2011
• Nepal's 'Super Sherpa' to break Himalayan trail | December 21, 2011
• 8th leather and footwear expo kicks off in Kathmandu | December 20, 2011
• US cancels travel warning for Nepal | December 20, 2011
• Sindhupalchok Festival 2011 from 19 November | November 17, 2011
• TAAN for lowering TIMS fee for SAARC nationals | November 17, 2011
• Dhading village gets ropeway service | October 08, 2011
• Fire and Ice opens | September 23, 2011
• Maoist party leader Baburam Bhattarai elected Prime Minister of Nepal | September 01, 2011
• American trekker still missing; family pleas for help to find her | August 18, 2011
• Tourist flow increase in July 2011 | August 10, 2011
• TAAN's 13th Eco-Trekking Workshop in Sukute, Sindhupalchok | August 10, 2011
• Nepali civil servants set a new record by conquering Mount Everest | May 20, 2011
• Air China to provide daily flight services between Lhasa and Katmandu | May 20, 2011
• Super Sherpa's 21st tryst with top of the world | May 12, 2011
• Nepal participates in Dubai Travel Mart | May 10, 2011
• Tourism life line of Nepal's tourism | May 08, 2011
• Nelson woman rescued from Mount Everest | May 08, 2011