The travel and tourism sector could be considered a significant pillar of the Nepali economy considering its contribution to the national gross domestic product (GDP). The tourism sector contributes 7.9 percent to the GDP and supports more than one million jobs directly and indirectly. However, in recent days due to the COVID-19 crisis tour and trekking companies have been forced to shut down. The number of inbound tourists has been almost nil for the past year.
Over 100,000 people working in the trekking sector have been jobless for a year now. More than 70,000 trekking porters, 22,000 licensed trekking guides, and 4,000 mountain trekking guides along with other support staff have been unemployed for a year. So are 5,000 tour guides, and 3,500 local guides.
The situation has become so chronic that guides involved in the sector have literally nothing to do at present and may have to look for alternative jobs.
Jangbu Sherpa, acting president of the Trekking Guide Association Nepal (TGAN), says, "I have been involved in the trekking sector since 1996 and I haven’t witnessed a more troublesome time as a guide.” He adds that the situation for most guides is dire as they have been jobless for nearly a year. “It is a really tough time for us. Moreover, our jobs are seasonal and we get to work for a total of only six months in a year and that too is not possible at the moment,” he mentions.
We have appealed on a number of occasions to the government but we haven't received a single penny. A few trekking agencies have provided some funds to their trekking guides but besides that nothing has happened, Sherpa laments.
Meanwhile, Badri Nepal, president of the Tourist Guide Association Nepal (TURGAN), also says that almost all guides have become jobless and they have spoken to the government many times but nothing has been done yet. “I had heard guides would be provided with alternate jobs but nothing has happened till date,” he adds. People need to understand that a guide’s profession is seasonal and they work on daily wages – you earn, you eat,” he mentions.
TGAN is an NGO and we are not supposed to protest but that doesn't mean that the government can ignore us. “We have been to the tourism ministry twice with our proposal on how guides could be facilitated but the government has turned a deaf ear to our suggestions,” says Sherpa.
On Friday, Tourism Minister Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal announced that the government would allow unrestricted entry to vaccinated tourists and remove all hassles including insurance policy. He also mentioned that on-arrival visas would also be provided to help boost the number of foreign travelers. However, the government has failed to address the issue of the need for guides too to be vaccinated against the coronavirus because it is the guides who are in direct contact with the tourists.
“We have not made any appeal to the government but I think the government should keep us on the priority list of the vaccination drive,” says Sherpa. He adds that if guides are vaccinated then they will be able to lead treks in a safe manner.
When asked if domestic tourism could be of some respite to the guiding fraternity both Sherpa and Nepal were a bit apprehensive about it. According to the domestic tourists basically, visit any destination just to view the panorama. “Domestic tourists are not interested in learning about the local culture, history and about the place and its features. So, they do not hire any guide,” mentioned Nepal, adding, however, the government and tourism organisations could come up with policies that will make domestic tourists aware of the benefits of hiring a guide.
There are many tour packages for domestic tourists and I think some of the packages like education tours need to have a guide so that the participants get the right information, mentions Nepal. “Hence, if the right policies are in place then domestic tourists could start hiring guides,” he adds.
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