Many countries lift travel boundaries to Nepal

    The three countries—the US, the UK and New Zealand—are now allowing their citizens to travel to Nepal, with exception of the hardest hit districts of the earthquake. Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) says that tourism has started to pick up again, with many people coming to volunteer their services, or here to visit the beautiful country. Immediately after the earthquake almost all countries had issued travel advisory, advising their citizens not to visit Nepal in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake. The US government had issued a notice stating the restrictions have been lifted. Nepal is now safe to travel though there are a few aftershocks yet. The US is the third largest tourist source market for Nepal. Tourism Ministry statistics show Nepal received 47,355 tourists from the US. The number was 17,518 in 2002.     The UK is the fifth largest source market to Nepal with annual arrivals of 35,668 visitors in 2013. The United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office has lifted its advisory and has stated that travel is safe in Nepal with only a few districts recommended not to visit. These include the districts - Humla, Mugu, Dolpa, Mustang, Manang, Lamjung, Gorkha (including the Manaslu trekking region), Dhading, Rasuwa (which includes the Langtang Valley trekking region), Nuwakot, Sindhup-alchok, Kavrepalanchok, Dol-akha, Ramechhap, Okhaldhu-nga, Solukhumbu (including Everest base camp and the Everest trekking routes), San- khuwasabha and Taplejung.
    Nepal received 2,808 tourists from New Zealand in the previous year. New Zealand was the first country to officially informed the NTB that it has lowered its risk level, which was raised in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake.  Some districts are still under the high risk to your safety. These include Gorkha, Kavrepalanchok, Dhading, Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Sindupalchok, Dolakha, Ramechhap, Okhaldhunga and Makwanpur.
    The following countries, Canada, Netherlands and Switzerland are in negotiations about the restrictions, but have advice their nationals to proceed with caution on travel to Nepal.
    The Nepal government, have been in talks with countries to consider Nepal in regard to travel alerts they have imposed post earthquake. “The softening of the travel warnings is a welcome sign for the Nepal’s tourism industry, which has already been experiencing a downturn,” said Ashok Pokhrel, president of the Nepal Association of Tour Operators (NATO). “It will also ease the travel insurance process for many people planning a vacation in Nepal.”
    The Nepal government has projected that tourism will increase with people coming from all over the world to see this beautiful countries. This is one of the ways that Nepal can overcome the devastation after the earthquake, to have a boost in tourism.