I witnessed the Tourism recovery

I find myself lucky in a way that I witnessed this earthquake.  But there are people who lost their houses, their loved ones. There is no doubt that this year will remain as one of the unluckiest year in Nepal's' history.

That time when people were busy leaving Nepal. Foreigners were picked up to their respective countries by their respective governments. We helplessly waved our hands to those planes thinking that they were now safe and we were left to die. People left Kathmandu, but earthquake was everywhere in Nepal. we (who lived in Kathmandu) were waiting another quake every moment. Everywhere was a dilemma as to how to start life now?  if those aftershocks never stopped.

But time heals. we developed a habit of having aftershocks. In the meanwhile, my office asked me to write a newsletter to our customers booked for their Nepal tour, requesting them not to cancel their trips. We have started feeling safe, and they were welcomed. we also made a package for those who might have an interest in travelling to Nepal and volunteering in the earthquake affected areas.

Till that time, I was just doing what my office asked me to do. Whenever there was a news about tourism and its recovery, I was asked to write a blog about it. Our office was announced to remain closed for that whole month and we were supposed to work from home. That month came to an end with those uncertainties, those sorrows, those tents, those debris, those empty houses, those tall houses waiting for their owners to come in.

Following  month we started our office again. We were confused how to start now. 

In the meantime I was added to a Facebook group called "Nepal Tourism Recovery".  There were tourism entrepreneurs, members of Nepal tourism Board and many more people related to tourism and interested in tourism. I started with a post about the package I made on Volunteering and Trekking. That package got a very serious criticism. 

While I was defending our package, Social Tours (a travel company) announced the "I am in Nepal" photo campaign. That was the best thing to do at that time to gain back people's confidence in coming to Nepal.  The campaign was simple yet very effective because of its visibility in social media. Tourists who were in Nepal were requested to get a picture with a small banner in their hand saying "I am in Nepal" and that was posted in Facebook.

In no time, many pictures were posted, liked and shared.  I also started searching for ways to recover tourism back in Nepal. But unfortunately there was nothing a content writer could do except writing my opinion and stories.

I never knew who started this group but whoever did, it was the best step taken at that time. I have been seeing they are having meetings on every Wednesday for discussing about the actions and strategies for the Tourism recovery. Many effective steps has already been taken and new ideas are coming.

Although this blog doesn't have any accurate information about what steps were taken, I just wanted to keep a record of those initial steps of the post quake Nepal's tourism recovery.

 

As I witnessed the earthquake, I have also closely witnessed those efforts made by the" Nepal Tourism Recovery"  group. Whenever there will be a talk on Tourism recovery in Nepal, the "Nepal Tourism recovery" group will be mentioned.