History of Modern Tourism
Nepal
In 1767 A.D. King Prithvi Narayan Shah united the petty
hill states into a single and integrated Nepal (1825 B.S.). Until the time of
King Prithvi Narayan Shah, Nepal was off-limits to foreigners, particularly
Europeans. The advent of tourists in Nepal in contemporary history was
established by the William Kirk Patrick Mission in 1792. Even though Kirk
Patrick came to Nepal as a military officer to gather data about the country,
his book “An Account of the Kingdom of Nepal” served to promote Nepal to foreigners.
Following
the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816, Wallich was appointed a British Resident in
Kathmandu to enhance Nepal’s ties with British India. Following that, British
nationals made regular travels to Kathmandu. From 1850 to 1851, Jung Bahadur
Rana visited Britain, which was important in presenting Nepal to the Western
world. Sir Brian Hodgson and Sir Joseph Hooker later visited Nepal. During the
era of Prime Minister Bir Samsher, French scholar Silva Levy visited Nepal. He
authored a book on Nepal called History of the Hindu Kingdom in French (which
was translated into the Nepali language by Dilli Raj Uprety).
During
the term of Prime Minister Chandra Shamsher, Percival Landon visited Nepal.
Similarly, in 1911 and 1921, King George V and the Prince of Wales visited
Nepal for hunting. The oldest documented record of foreign visitors to Nepal is
found in Percival London’s book ‘Nepal, where 153 Europeans, largely British,
are mentioned to have visited Kathmandu between 1881 and 1925. In 1924, George
Mallory and Andrew Irvine attempted to climb Everest but went missing. Other
mountaineers were also granted permission to ascend the peak under careful
monitoring. Despite these achievements, the Rana kings kept Nepal secluded from
outside influence until 1950.
In
1949, the first foreign trekker Bill Tillman came to Nepal to trek and to ABC
and EBC.
The first flight into Gauchaur happened on 23 April 1949.
History
of Nepal Tourism after 1950-1959.
1950/51
(2007 BS) i. The Rana dictatorship permitted only a few visitors to
Nepal.
ii.Maurice
Herzog, a French citizen, became the first person to reach the peak of
Annapurna (8091m).
1951
(2008 BS), 104 years of autocracy of the Rana regime ended.
1952, Tony
Hagen, a Swiss geologist, marketed Nepal to the international audience as the
“Switzerland of Asia.". He was employed by the Nepal government to explore
and map the geography of Nepal, travelled 14000km in the Himalayas, and retired
in 1972 AD.
1953
(2010BS) i.May 29, Sir Edmund Hillary (New Zealand) and Tenzing
Norgay Sherpa (Nepal) reached the top of Mt. Everest
(8848m) for the first time (2010 BS Jestha 16).
ii.
Obtained membership of UNESCO.
iii. Modern tourism begins in Nepal.
1955 i.15
June Gauchaur Airport was inaugurated by King Mahendra renaming it
Tribhuvan Airport in memory of the king's father (2012 Asar 12).
ii.14 Dec Obtained membership
in the UN as 72 members.
iii.Nepal issued its first tourist visa
to Boris Lisanevich, a Russian hotelier King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah invited
to allow the Thomas Cook Company to send tourists to Nepal.
Boris established the first hotel "Royal Hotel" and
began catering for tourists.
1956
(2013 BS) National Tourism Council set up the first 5-year tourism
development plan under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
1957 The Department
of Civil Aviation was formed under the Ministry of Work, Communication and
Transport.
1958
(2015 BS) i.1 July Royal Nepal Airlines Cooperation (RNAC) was
established (2015 BS Asar 17).
ii.8
July Bhairahawa Airport established (2015 BS Asar 24).
1959
i. Tourism board introduced.
ii. Obtained membership in the International
Union of Official Travel Organizations.
iii. Statutory regulations regarding Civil
aviation were introduced under the Civil Aviation Act, of 1959 (2015 BS).
History
of Nepal Tourism from 1960-1969 AD
1960 Obtained membership
of ICAO
1961 Tourism
Department was formed under the Ministry of Work,
Communication and Transport.
1964 (2021
BS) i.Tribhuvan Airport was renamed
Tribhuvan International Airport.
ii. The first trekking agency “Mountain Travel
Trekking Agency ” now “Tiger Mountain” was established by Colonel
Jimmy Robert. He had started “Tiger Tops” in Chitwan National Park to
accommodate tourists who enjoy jungle activities. He is regarded as the “Father
of Trekking in Nepal” and a role model in teaching and implementing
management in tourism in Nepal.
1965 i.June
15 Everest Travel Service, established the first travel agency in
Nepal.
ii.Conquered 8000 + mountains. Established Nepal as the best destination
for expedition and climbing.
1966
(2023 BS). i.Mar 10, NATTA was established (2022 Falgun27).
ii.HAN established
1967
1st Mar, Inauguration of Bhairahawa Bimaghhat under the Indian govt
assistance program of the GON.
1960-70’s. Nepal
became a popular tourist Hippies destination. Hippies who followed radical and
liberal anti-war philosophy with “mind exploring” activities such as sex, drugs
and religion began travelling in Nepal.
History
of Nepal Tourism from 1970-1979 AD
1972
(2029 BS) i.a Tourism master plan was formulated with German assistance that
led to the concept of spreading economic activity in Nepal.
ii. The Government of Nepal established the Hotel
Management and Tourism Training Center (HMTTC), now the Nepal
Academy of Tourism & Hotel Management (NATHM), to produce
a skilled workforce required by the hospitality and tourism industry.
1973 (2030
BS) i.Chitwan National Park was officially established.
ii. Nov 1 Established NMA
(allows the permit to 27 peaks).
iii. Himalayan Rescue Association established.
1975 i.Obtained membership in
World Tourism Organizations.
ii. Obtained membership of PATA.
1976 (2032
BS) i.Established Langtang, Bardiya, Sagarmatha, Rara National
Park (2032 BS).
ii.Koshi Tappu WLR (2032 BS).
1978
(2035) i.Established Tourism as a separate Ministry (2033/34 BS Falgun
12).
ii.First Tourism
Act endorsed as Tourism Act 2035 was published.
iii.TAAN was
established to develop and promote Nepal's trekking sector.
1979 (2036
BS) i.Sagarmatha National Park is listed as Nepal's first
natural world heritage site.
ii.UNESCO World Heritage Kathmandu Valley (contains 7
heritage sites).
iii.26 Jan Tourist Police established (2035
BS Magh 12).
iv.Hashish
and marijuana were legal in Nepal until the Drug Enforcement Administration was
established by the Nepal government to discourage the use of drugs. Hippie
played the ambassador role and kept telling Nepal's cultural and natural
beauties to the outer world. The film was about hippies and their activities in
the Hindi movie “Hare Ram Hare Krishna” by the late Dev Anand.
History
of Nepal Tourism from 1980-1989 AD
1980
(2037) The Department of National Park and Wildlife
Conservation (DNPWC) was established.
1982
(2039 BS) i. Civil aviation was added to the Ministry
of Tourism and named MoTCA.
ii. National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) established
1984 i.Chitwan
National Park is listed as a natural world heritage site.
ii.Shey Phoksundo National
Park was established (2040 BS).
iii.Khaptad National Park was established (2042 BS).
1985
(2042 BS) i.Oct 30,1st amendment of Tourism Act
2035.
ii.Dec 8 SAARC membership as founding members.
1987
i.Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve established (2044 BS)
ii.Koshi Tappu WLR get the
status of ram sites (wetland).
1989 i.Dec 26
NARA established (2046 Push 11).
From 1975
to 1991, Nepal became a hot spot for holidaymakers, adventure
seekers, and cultural tourists. The flow of tourists increased in the
Nepalese tourism industry.
History
of Nepal Tourism from 1990-1999 AD
1991 Makalu
Barun (2049 BS) National Park established (2049 BS).
1992 (2049
BS) i. Annapurna conservation
area established (2049 BS).
ii. Nepal adopted a liberal sky policy.
iii. 14 Sept, 1st private airline company of Nepal,
Necon Air was established.
1993
(2050 BS) GON introduced its first-ever Civil Aviation Policy
in 2050 B.S.
1995
(2052 BS) First Tourism Policy 2052 was endorsed.
1996
(2053 BS) the Civil Aviation Act published.
1997 (2054
BS) i. Kanchenjunga conservation area established (2054
BS).
ii. Lumbini is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
iii.2nd Amendment of Tourism Act 2035.
iv.
Published Nepal Tourism Board Act 2053 Magh 23.
1998
(2055 BS) i. Mansalu conservation area established (2055
BS).
ii. Nepal celebrated its first tourism year with the slogan
"A World of its Own. " There were 4,63684 tourist arrivals in total.
iii. Established of UNESCO office at Kathmandu.
iv. Established NTB, to promote the tourism sector (2055 Push 16).
v.Dec 31 Established
CAAN under the 1996 CA Act (2055 Push 16). (iv -v formed
after repealing Civil Aviation and Tourism Department 2055 BS).
1999 i.
The downfall of tourism in Nepal started with the hijacking of Indian airlines
from Tribhuvan International Airport.
ii. Bhairahawa
Airport was renamed Gautama Buddha International Airport.
Dark
period, 1999-2005: due to Maoist insurgency.
History
of Nepal Tourism from 2000-2009
2000
(2057 BS) i. Culture was added to the Ministry of Tourism and named MoCTCA.
ii. Sirubari village was declared the 1st model tourist
village of Nepal.
2001,
i.Royal massacre and Maoist insurgency contributed to the downfall until 2006.
ii.Sept, TRPAP
was launched in Nepal by GON and UNDP.
2002
i. Shivapuri National Park was established (2058 BS).
ii. May 2, Mountaineering
regulations published.
iii.Nepal Mountain Academy was established
under the MoTCA.
2002/03 i.Celebrated
as Destination Nepal year.
2004 Feb
8 Nepal obtained membership of BIMSTEC as the last
member.
2005 i.King
Gyanedra coup and suspended the constitution.
ii.8 June Travel and Trekking agency
regulations published.
2006 i. a
comprehensive peace agreement between the government and Maoists was signed,
declaring Nepal as a Federal and Republic nation from
the 4th amendment of the interim constitution 2063.
ii.2
June 1st amendment of Travel and Trekking Agency
Regulations.
iii. Sept 9, Rafting Regulations
published.
2007 i.6
Aug,1st amendment of Mountaineering regulations.
ii.After
the peace agreement between the government and Maoists 5,26,705 tourists
visited Nepal.
2008 i.Jan 1, TIMS card implemented (2067 Push 17).
ii.2052 (1995) Tourism Policy modified and
named Tourism Policy 2065.
iii.Aug 31 Culture was separated from the Ministry of Tourism and named MoTCA (2065 Bhadra 15).
iv. 1st amendment of Rafting Regulations published.
2009 Krishnasar
Conservation Area established (2065 BS)
History
of Nepal Tourism from 2010-2019
2010 i.
Gaurishanker Conservation Area established (2066 BS)
ii Api Nampa conservation
area established (2067 BS)
iii. Banke National Park established (2067
BS)
iv.Homestay
begins in Nepal 2067 BS Bhadra, 1.(Kavre Gaun,Kaski first
official homestay of Nepal (2067 Push 20).
2011, 14
Jan “Nepal Tourism Year” with the slogan “Together for Tourism” with
a target of 10 lakh tourist arrivals, where only 7, 36,215 international
visitors visited Nepal. (Inauguration- (2067 Push 30 )
2012, i. 18
May, Again Culture was added to the Ministry of Tourism and
named MoCTCA (2069 Jestha 5).
ii. Lumbini visit
year was celebrated in 2012 (Inauguration- 2012 AD Jan 12) with a
target of 5 lakh tourist arrivals.
2013 2nd
Amendment of Rafting Regulations.
2014 Department
of Tourism reformed again (2071 BS Bhadra 2).
2016
(2073 BS) i.Established Pokhara International Airport as Nepal's
3rd international airport.
ii. National Tourism Strategic Plan (NTSP) 2016-2025 published
with a target of 25 lakh tourist arrivals till 2025 (2073 BS Jestha
31).
2017. i.
Sukhaphanta National Park was established (2073 BS)
ii. Parsa National Park established (2074
BS)
2018
(2075 BS), 6th Amendment of Travel and
Trekking Agency Regulations.
History of Nepal Tourism from 2020-2025
2020 (2077 BS) i. the government forecasted
2020 as the Visit Nepal 2020 "Lifetime experience" year with the
target of 20 lakh tourist arrivals but again, the industry suffered from the
Covid-19 pandemic. After 2022 tourism slowly geared up but the condition is not
satisfactory. Tourist arrivals of 2, 30085.
ii. Dec 8 published new height of Mount Everest
8848.86 (2077 Mangsir 23).
2021(2078) i.28
Jun Digital-visa introduced (2078 Asar 14).
ii. Nov 17
E-passport introduced, first issued to Late-Satye Mohan Joshi (2078 Mangsir
1).
2022 (2079 BS) i.May 16, Gautama Buddha
Airport was inaugurated with the first arrival of international airline Jazeera
Airways, Kuwait (2079 BS Jestha 2).
ii. July, GON announced 2023-2032 as the "Nepal
Tourism Decade" with a target of USD125 per tourist per
day spending and a target of tourist arrivals by 10 lakh.
iii.
Tourist arrivals of 6, 14869 with an average length of stay
of 13.1 days and average expenses of 40.5 USD.
2023(2080
BS) i.Jan 1 Pokhara International Airport begins
its operations with the first arrival of domestic airlines Buddha Air, (2079
BS Push 17).
ii. Mar 31, E-TIMS was implemented.
iii. Target tourist arrivals of
10 lakh by 2032 as the target of the "Nepal
Tourism Decade" and
also with a target of USD125 per
tourist per day spending.
iv. The "Nepal Ghumau, Nepal Chinau" program will be
launched to promote domestic tourism, with a budget of 80/81.
v.Tourist
arrivals of 10,14882 with an average length of stay
of 13.2 days and average expenses of 41
USD.
2024 i.Feb
9 E-visa introduced (2080 Magh 26).
ii.Mar 17 Pokhara was declared the
tourism capital of Nepal (2080 Chaitra 4).
iii.Nov 3 Thai
Air Asia begins operation in Gautama Buddha International Airport (2081
Kartik 18).
2025
(2082 BS) Special Tourism Year.
#
Policies relating to Tourism highlighted in Part 4, Articles 51, "L" of
Nepal Constitution 2072 (to develop eco-friendly
tourism industries as the main base of the national economy by way of
identification, protection, promotion and publicity of ancient culture,
religious, archaeological and natural heritage of Nepal, to make environment
and policy required for the development of tourism culture and to accord
priority to local people in the distribution of benefits of tourism
industries.)