The present caretaker government of Nepal is all set to hold national elections on 19th November 2013. With the political instability in the nation, some demonstrations and strikes can be expected before and during the election. In worst case scenario, the security and movement of the people might probably be disrupted. However that is a distant possibility. Tourists from around the world who are planning or have already planned to visit Nepal at around the election time might have some concern.
Kausal Kumar Singh, director-sales and marketing at The Everest Hotel reckons that even if the booking rate in the five star hotels of Kathmandu are impressive, some cancellations are likely. Those working in the tourism sector are crossing their fingers, hoping that the elections are peaceful. How will the impending elections possibly affect the tourists? The answer is it might not affect at all. I am not being overly ambitious. There are positive signs that the elections will not have any such adverse affect on the tourists.
Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has come forward to provide assurances. It has claimed that it has made necessary arrangements from its side to make the election time as less troublesome as possible for the tourists. NTB is a government body that works for the better of tourism field of Nepal and also assists tourists in various areas. Citing the example of 2008 elections, the spokesman of NTB Aditya Baral said “Like during the 2008 CA election, the NTB will issue passes for tourist vehicles so that they can travel without hindrance. Besides the movement of tourist vehicles, all hotels and restaurants will remain open on election day.”
NTB has also established Tourism Crisis Cells at every major cities of the country. The idea is to help tourists deal with any unwelcome situation and/or emergencies during election period. The only concern during the elections should be for overland tourists. Because the borders are set to remain sealed from the evening of Nov 18 to Nov 20, tourists planning to enter Nepal via land have to plan their travel and possibly make a couple of last minute adjustments.
It is always a good idea to talk to your government representatives and take their suggestions. However, with some serious effort being put by the government and private sector, tourists can still travel in Nepal during elections freely. Have a little bit more caution than otherwise and stay updated to the latest news and updates. The impending elections seem to be going to have negligible impact, if any, on the tourists.