Nepal floods: Spooked by visuals, tourists cancel bookings, tour operators hit

Distressing visuals and reports about flood-hit Nepal have caused travellers to lose their composure, disrupting travel plans and leading to cancellations. Nepal, a popular destination for Indian tourists due to its affordability, cultural significance, and proximity, is now seeing a decline in bookings. A Kolkata businessman named Naresh Parnani, who was scheduled to visit Kathmandu with his elderly mother and children, has cancelled his trip and opted to travel to Dubai instead.

A Darjeeling couple, planning a 15-day trip to Mansarovar via Kerung in September, also decided to cancel after viewing videos of Kerung being inundated with water. Travel agents Anil Punjabi and Anjani Dhanuka in Kolkata expressed concern over the increasing number of cancellations and sought information on the safety of other destinations in Nepal such as Kathmandu, Pokhara, Patan, and Lumbini.

Similar anxieties were reported from Jharkhand, where travel agencies witnessed a 60-70% drop in bookings for late September and October. Ranchi tour operator Amit Roy stated that families are hesitant to take risks for safety. In Bihar, the number of tourists travelling to Kathmandu and Pokhara via Janakpur has dropped to zero over the past two days due to impassable roads, forcing operators to cancel bookings.