Nepal is one of the best travel and tour destinations in the world. Its rich cultural heritage, wonderful religious history, and sumptuous beauty of the landscapes have attracted many travel enthusiasts over the past. In order to attract other interested travelers, Visit Nepal 2020 was declared by Nepal Government with the Nepal Tourism Board.
Nepal saw a slight dip in the number of tourists visiting here after the devastating earthquake of 2015. After that, the number of tourists here has not seared as high as in the past. So the year 2020 has been announced as Visit Nepal year in order to get the tourism industry of Nepal up and running in full.
Nepal tourism sector is growing. As a result, more and more travel destinations are opening up. Many new trekking trails are being opened. The older ones are also being renovated and restructured so that traveling gets easier.
So Visit Nepal 2020 is an attempt to shed light on the prospect of tourism in Nepal. It is also an attempt to attract students to get into the sector of travel and tourism. This will also help potential entrepreneurs in the travel industry to grow.
Objectives of Visit Nepal 2020
The government of Nepal set a target to bring in two million tourists each year by 2020. In order to bring this plan into fruition, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) planned to organize ‘Visit Nepal Year’ in 2020.
I have summarized the biggest objectives of Visit Nepal 2020 below:
- Designing a solid framework for a master plan that aims at the preservation of existing tourist sites
- A vision of upgrading the Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management to a Tourism University.
- There are also plans to incorporate the amendments to the Tourism Act to make it more a tad more vibrant, relevant, and contextual.
- There are also visions to amend Casino Regulation, Travel and Trekking Regulation, and Mountaineering Expedition Regulation
- The Tourism Ministry is also looking to initiate the process to bring the national flag carrier — Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) — and also take forward NAC’s proposal to purchase two more narrow-body aircraft.
- With growing outbound tourists, Nepal is also looking to tap the outbound travelers of the neighboring nations.
- The government has planned to complete the extension of Tribhuvan International Airport and construction of Gautam Buddha Airport in Bhairahawa before the Visit Nepal Year.
- The construction or renovation of major heritage sites is expected to be completed before 2020.
History of Visit Nepal
Visit Nepal 2020 is not the only Visit Nepal event that has been organized in the history of this country. There have been 2 Visit Nepal events that have been organized in the past. They are the Visit Nepal 1998 and Visit Nepal 2011.
Visit Nepal 1998
Visit Nepal 1998 was organized formed taking various considerations into account.
It was aimed at more operating more airlines and international flights. It also hoped to develop an atmosphere of the country that was favorable for international travel. It also aimed at eliminating any socio-political instability in the region.
With the organization of the event, Nepal also helped to develop infrastructures that facilitated the smooth flow of tourists all around the country.
Visit Nepal 1998 was an amazing success as it attracted many travelers from all over Europe, North and South America, Australia and other parts of the world.
Visit Nepal 2011
After Visit Nepal 1998, many trekking sites became really popular ones for travel. Nepalese tourism industry saw unprecedented growth.
Nepalese Tourism Ministry then came out with another Visit Nepal year in 2011.
It aimed at decentralizing the then tourist sites. One of its biggest objectives was to disperse around 40% of the international tourists to the relatively quieter parts of Nepal. It also aimed at encouraging visiting the lesser-known tourist sites.
It also aimed at increasing investment in tourism infrastructures by 50%. Finally, it also wanted to promote and maintain the record of domestic tourism.
Another big reason that Visit Nepal was declared in 2011 because Nepal also saw some political instability in the early 2000s. As a result, there was a dip in the number of tourists from the Visit Nepal 1998.
Things to do during Visit Nepal in 2020
There are many fun activities that you can be involved in Nepal in 2020. Let us take a look at some of the thrilling and adventurous activities you can do in Nepal during Visit Nepal 2020.
Trekking
Trekking and Nepal are synonymous. The home to 8 out of the 14 8000-meters tall mountains, Nepal, offers some of the best trekking experiences you can crave for.
Everest Base Camp Trek, Annapurna Base Camp trek, Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek, and Annapurna Circuit Trek need no introduction to any trekking enthusiasts. But in Visit Nepal 2020, Nepal Government also wants to promote other lesser-known trekking tracks in Nepal.
Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek, Manaslu Circuit Trek, Ganesh Himal Trek, Langtang Gosaikunda trek are amongst the trekking destinations that Nepalese government looks to put some light on during Visit Nepal year in 2020.
With an increase in the number of trekkers in Visit Nepal 2020, the government of Nepal hopes to make trekking in these sites a lot safer than it actually is. This will help make these destinations accessible to even a greater audience in the future.
Mountain Climbing
Mountaineering is another adventure-filled activity that you can enjoy in Nepal. After the ascent of the tallest mountain in the world (Mt. Everest) by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary in 1953, Nepal became home to mountaineers.
There are many mountains you can climb while you are in Nepal. These mountains include Everest, Annapurna, Kanchenjunga, Makalu, Lhotse, and plenty of other peaks. Permits to climb newer less popular peaks are also being handed out after proper inspection of climbing sites.
If you are not sure that you can come for a mountaineering expedition, you can come to Nepal during Visit Nepal 2020 for high passes trekking in Nepal. The high passes treks in Everest, Makalu or Kanchenjunga are quite strenuous and require more effort and preparation than trekking. However, they are not as difficult as climbing mountains.
With an increased number of mountaineers during the Visit Nepal 2020, Nepal also hopes to inspire a generation of future mountaineers within and outside the country.
UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Sites
UNESCO World Heritage Sites give you a glimpse into the rich architectural, cultural, and religious history of these places. And Nepal has plenty of UNESCO World Heritage Sites that are worth going to.
The three Durbar Squares in Kathmandu- Patan Durbar Square, Kathmandu Durbar Square, and Bhaktapur Durbar Square are amongst the UNESCO World Heritage Sites that are easily accessible in Kathmandu.
Other UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu are Swayambhunath and Boudhanath. These are sites that are primarily related to the Buddhist faith. However, you can see plenty of Hindus as well as Christians in these sites. This reflects the amazing cultural diversity that is present in Nepal.
Changunarayan and Pashupatinath are two other temples in Nepal that are enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Plenty of Hindu devotees are present in a great number in these temples all year round.
Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, is another UNESCO World Heritage Sites that has an astonishing architecture ranging from pillars established by King Ashoka, Burmese style temples, monasteries, and museums inside the premises of the temple.
With the Visit Nepal 2020 initiative, the government of Nepal aims at the possible renovation of some portion of these sites that suffered some forms of damage during the 2015 Nepal earthquake.
UNESCO Natural Heritage Sites
Chitwan National Park and Sagarmatha National Park are two natural heritage sites in Nepal that are definitely worth a visit.
These two national parks have their own specialties.
Chitwan National Park is a safe haven for a lot of wild animals and birds. Some of these creatures have been enlisted as endangered species. Some of these species are one-horned rhino, Asian Elephant, Royal Bengal Tiger etc. So this national park is wildly popular for a jungle safari as well as bird watching.
Sagarmatha National Park has a great degree of variation in terms of the plants and animal species that you can find here. The park is also home to the tall Himalayas of the Everest region including Mt. Everest. Most of the Everest Base Camp trek takes place inside the premises of Sagarmatha National Park.
Biodiversity and Bird Watching
This is another popular activity in Nepal. As I have already stated before, Chitwan National Park is one of the most popular places for observing the biodiversity in Nepal. However, it is not the only one.
Other places like Royal Bardia National Park and Rara National Park are amongst other popular sites for the observation of biodiversity in this picturesque country. You can go for a jungle safari tour in Bardia National Park.
Rara Lake is especially popular for trekking. However, the number of bird watchers that go to this lake is also very high.
There are 852 species of birds in Nepal. These national parks and conservation areas are home to a great number of endangered species such as the Bengal Tiger, One-Horned Rhinoceros, Bengal Fox, Red Panda, and the elusive Snow Leopard.
Through the Visit Nepal 2020 program, the government plans to shed light on such endangered species that are present in a great number in Nepal. This might help raise awareness programs about the crisis that is faced by life in other forms. Such awareness might bring about efforts for the preservation of such plants and animals as well.
Student Tour
Touring in Nepal as a student is as fun as it gets. It gives you a feel of the many historical places that are present in a large number in Nepal. In addition, if you are a student, you also can learn about the people, lifestyle, and culture of the places that you head out to.
During the student tour, the teachers also have a lot of learning opportunities as they can go to the rural places of Nepal and interact with teachers of the schools you visit. You can discuss teaching pedagogy and how to improve the quality of studentship here.
Visit Nepal 2020 aims to bring light to such esoteric tours in Nepal so that high school, college, and university students appreciate the great value that you can get out of the student tour in Nepal.
Mountain Flights and Helicopter Tours
Visit Nepal 2020 also aims to expand the aviation sector of Nepal. That will mean an increase in the number of domestic airplanes and helicopters. With that will come plenty of opportunities to visit the various parts of the world in a mountain flight or a helicopter.
Helicopter Tour to Everest Base Camp is one of the fastest-growing tourist activities in Nepal. It gives some of the most staggering views of the mountains in the Everest region. In addition, you also won’t have to undergo the arduous process of trekking over 2 weeks to get there.
In a similar way, you can also see the mountains in the Everest region on a mountain flight. There are also other regions which you can get to on a mountain flight. This includes Annapurna Base Camp and Pokhara region.
Adventure Sports
Nepal also hopes to improve the status of adventure sports in the country during the Visit Nepal 2020.
There are various adventure sports activities that you can take part in Nepal. These include Bungee Jumping, Cycling Tours, paragliding, rafting, etc. Although these activities are really popular already, there are plans of extension of the sites to carry out these activities.
So you will have plenty of options to enjoy these activities in various parts of the country.
Traveling in Nepal after 2015 earthquake
Nepal was displayed in the media that stooped into rubble during the earthquake. Although there were some districts that were heavily affected by the earthquake, many sites were unscathed.
Only 5 districts out of the 77 in Nepal were severely affected by the earthquake. There were some minor damages in other 7. This took the lives of 8686 people and rendered thousands of injured and homeless. Some of the these highly affected districts in Nepal are still recuperating from the damage caused by the earthquake.
This incident affected the tourism industry greatly. The number of tourists also decreased greatly.
After the incident, the Tourism Board carried out a thorough examination of every route. It also assessed the damage done to the trekking trail. As of now, all the major 35 hiking routes have been declared safe to travel. National parks, in a similar vein, have received a green signal for traveling.
The buildings in the cities that were deemed as unsafe to stay in after the earthquake were broken down or replaced. These high-risk buildings were marked with a red color. They were either fixed by the local authorities or international organizations.
So a majority of the tourist destinations, as well as major cities, are extremely safe to travel. Possible areas of rectification are planned to be sought out before the Visit Nepal program kick starts in full throttle.
How is Nepal preparing for Visit Nepal 2020?
The objectives have already been laid out. The plans of its execution are up and running. The Government of Nepal hopes to bring in 2 million tourists in 2020.
Currently, the tourism board of Nepal is engaged in Visit Nepal Europe campaign. This campaign is supported by ambassadors and diplomats of Nepal in European countries.
The increased number of tourists cannot be accommodated in the hotels that are there now. So the private hotel sector has initiated plans to add 4000 new rooms in four and five-star hotels in Kathmandu, Chitwan, and Pokhara. Additionally. new international chain hotels, Hilton, DoubleTree, Marriott, will also operate to accommodate the large influx of tourists.
Nepal has only one international airport which is located in Kathmandu. Before Visit Nepal 2020, there are plans to operate two new International Airports. These will be located in Pokhara, and Lumbini.
The Government of Nepal is also planning to Introduce new Airbus a330-200 to provide airline services to a large number of tourists. Plans of running the Tribhuvan International Airport for an additional 3 hours have been proposed. The proposal is likely to be accepted. This will see an increase in the operation of flights from regular 18 hours. This will help to facilitate services to incoming and departing tourists.
Why Choose Sublime Trails for Visit Nepal 2020
Sublime Trails is a trusted name in the field of travel and tourism in Nepal. Hundreds of travelers have enjoyed the beauty of Nepal by the wonderful services that are provided by Sublime Trails.
Sublime Trails also believes in eco-tourism. As a result, the travels plans made by us are compatible with the preservation of the natural beauty of Nepal despite a large number of people that are planning to visit Nepal in 2020.
We also arrange itineraries as per your needs. So you can simply let us know what kind of services you are looking for. Our customer services are great and you won’t be disappointed.
Conclusion
Visit Nepal will be a mega event in the field of tourism in Nepal. The infrastructure of Nepal will undergo a great transformation. Opportunities for jobs in the tourism industry will flourish like
never before. Even if you have traveled to Nepal before, you will be stunned by the great hum of tourists. There are many travel activities in Nepal you can be a part of during Visit Nepal 2020. Make sure that you don’t miss out on the glory of this nation. So come here and be an active participant of Visit Nepal 2020.
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