Nepal floods leave 6,150 missing after border disaster

The devastating floods that hit Nepal and Tibet in late August claimed at least 1,386 lives, with thousands still unaccounted for. The immediate focus has been on rescue, relief, and restoring essential services, but Nepal has been urging international tourists not to cancel their travel plans. Much of the country remains accessible to visitors.

One of the biggest challenges is deciding when and how to encourage tourists to return. In Nepal, tourism supports roughly 15% of the employment, with almost one job in seven reliant on the industry. It also contributes about 6-8% to the country's GDP. However, history shows that the timing and approach to tourism recovery can be tricky.

Getting too many tourists back too soon could impede the recovery process, while waiting too long could result in a second economic crisis for communities that rely heavily on tourism. Past disasters have shown that a "perception footprint" can be wider than the physically affected areas. After the 2015 Gorkha earthquakes, international arrivals fell by 32% in 2015 despite many popular destinations remaining unaffected.

To help rebuild trust in Nepal's tourism, authorities need to provide credible, detailed information on which areas remain affected, which roads and trekking routes are accessible, and which infrastructure is operational. Travellers who have visited Nepal before are more likely to return sooner once the country is ready, due to their stronger personal ties and better knowledge of local conditions.

It's crucial to manage the return of tourism in a way that supports affected communities without risking the safety of visitors or residents.