Nepal urges tourists not to cancel trips, says most destinations safe

Nepal, reeling from devastating floods and landslides, has appealed to foreign tourists not to abandon their plans to visit the country.

Nepali Tourism Minister Khadak Raj Paudel issued a video message Wednesday (local time) saying that while some parts of Nepal had been affected, "Nepal is still open." "The majority of tourist destinations are safe and welcome you," he said.

Paudel urged travelers who had already made plans not to remove Nepal from their itineraries. "Your visit will help sustain our tourism industry and support guides and hotel workers who depend on tourism for their livelihoods," he said.

"Visiting Nepal now does not just mean a vacation," he said. "It is great support for a country fighting this devastating disaster."

Massive floods that struck the Himalayan mountain regions of Nepal and China on Aug. 26 have killed at least 1,114 people in Nepal and left 3,916 others missing.

Of the missing, 583 are foreign nationals — many of them pilgrims who had traveled to Hindu holy sites in the affected areas or tourists on Himalayan trekking trips.

Tourism centered on the Himalayan mountain region is one of Nepal's key national industries.

The sector directly accounts for about 6 percent of GDP, but when the broader impact on related industries — including aviation, accommodation, food and beverage, and retail — and job creation are factored in, it is estimated to represent roughly 10 percent of Nepal's economy.

Paudel told a parliamentary committee that day that Nepal had lost 142 hotels, 57 restaurants, 141 tourism-related vehicles and 27 cultural heritage sites. He estimated that damage to the tourism sector alone from the floods would exceed 50 billion rupees ($326 million).

Meanwhile, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a special travel advisory Friday for four Nepali provinces — Bagmati, Gandaki, Koshi and Lumbini — amid continued concerns over further flood damage. A "Caution" travel alert remains in effect for all other regions of Nepal.

The ministry urged South Korean nationals planning to travel to those areas to cancel or postpone their visits, and called on those already in the region to take special care for their personal safety and relocate to safer areas unless they have urgent business there.