Nepal asks nations to lift travel warnings

FILE - In this Wednesday, March 18, 2015 file photo, trekkers take an acclimatization hike to Nagarzhang peak above Dingboche valley on the way to Everest base camp, Nepal. Climbers are returning to Mount Everest as the climbing industry recovers from last year's deadly disaster on the world's highest peak, a Nepalese mountaineering official said Wednesday, April 1. The popular spring climbing season began last month and runs until the end of May. (AP Photo/Tashi Sherpa, File)
By Hannah Edensor


Nepal’s government is urging other countries to lift travel advisories that discourage their citizens from visiting the Himalayan nation following a devastating earthquake in April that killed thousands of people.

Tourism minister Kripasur Sherpa said on Wednesday the government has asked other nations through diplomatic channels to remove the advisories because most parts of the country are safe.

“Only about 15 per cent of the country has been affected by the earthquake while the rest is fine,” Sherpa said.

So far the US, Britain, Switzerland, New Zealand and Italy have removed their advisories, but some other European countries have not, he said.

Nepal received nearly 800,000 tourists last year, but the number is expected to drop by about 40 per cent this year because of the April 25 earthquake.

Sherpa said he recently asked ambassadors from India and China to encourage their citizens to visit. Indians and Chinese account for about 30 per cent of Nepal’s tourists.

Tourism is a key source of foreign currency for Nepal, which has many of the world’s highest mountains, including Mount Everest.

One popular trekking route was damaged by the earthquake but the others were unaffected.

Latest News