Nepal has had a decline in its tourism industry after it experienced a devastating earthquake back in 2015. The calamity killed nearly 9,000 people and caused destruction to some of the country's historical structures and monuments. But now, it appears that there are some signs of recovery.
On April 25, 2015, the country of Nepal was hit by a devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter Scale. Many lives were lost which included both locals and foreign nationals. Huffington Post reported that the country's economy had a net loss of 7 trillion.
However, according to Independent, Nepal has seen some significant growth in its tourism industry which is shown by the number of bookings it has this 2017. In fact, this year has more bookings compared to 2014, the year before the massive earthquake caused an overnight blow on the country's tourism industry.
A lot of travelers opted not to have their vacations in Nepal after the earthquake happened and even the year after. Some people were left jobless for months and even in places that weren't really affected.
More than 800 of the country's palaces, temples and monuments were either damaged or destroyed. One of the major attractions, Unesco world heritage site Durbar Square, still have remains of the aftermath where rubble and debris are scattered on the streets.
Now, everything is going well for Nepal where various tour operators have seen some signs of growth, particularly in tourist bookings. In fact, a big chunk of its GDP comes from tourism.
"Nepal is outstripping growth because of the awareness raised, UK and Europe Intrepid Travel regional director Michael Edwards said. He also added that customers have responded positively to the movement.
This year, the travel company had their booking rate rise up to 70 percent compared to last year. Intrepid Travel also helped the country bounce back from the disaster by raising funds that amounted to $400,000 after the calamity happened.
