The Tourist Effect

Appalachia, June 2003

The simmering Maoist rebellion in the Nepalese countryside that began in 1996 had little effect on tourism and climbing for a number of years, largely because the Maoists had a sharp appreciation of the fundamental part played by tourism in the country’s economy and disavowed any intention of harming tourists. A breakdown in negotiations between the government and the Maoists in 2001 led to attacks on remote police posts and other rural governmental agencies and to harsh, repressive measures by government forces. The Washington Post reports more than 5,100 deaths in the past year, about 4,000 charged to the army or the police. This more vicious phase of the rebellion, the instability caused by the murders of royal-family members in 2001, the dissolution of Parliament in the spring of 2002, and the two crashes of Twin Otter short-haul aircraft in Nepal in the summer (which resulted in the death of at least fifteen tourists) all combined to cause the collapse of the tourist industry. It is estimated that the number of visitors to Nepal decreased by 70 percent last year. There is little doubt that mountaineering will also be substantially reduced despite the Nepal Mountaineering Association’s attempts to encourage mountaineers by “opening” new peaks, simplifying regulations, and reducing fees.

A Pakistan Tourism Ministry officer reports that the number of tourists and the associated revenue dropped more than 90 percent from 2001 to 2002. In 2001 there were 500,000 foreign tourists and 70 mountaineering expeditions comprising 450 climbers. The corresponding numbers for 2002 are about 45,000 tourists and 29 expeditions with just more than 200 climbers. The number of treks was 24 with just 97 trekkers. Ministry royalties for mountaineering expeditions and treks dropped to $141,000 from $617,000 in 2001.

These results are a source of dismay to the Ministry. Officials point out that actual events do not bear out the conclusion that there is a high risk of terrorist events in backcountry Pakistan, noting that in the past forty years more than 250 climbers and trekkers have died in mountain accidents, while only three foreigners have died in attacks by the local populace. There were no reports of backcountry attacks in 2002. On the other hand, Americans and other Westerners have suffered terrorist assaults in cities and towns, and it is difficult to foresee a near-term turnaround in the number of treks and expeditions choosing Pakistan.

Editor’s note and Acknowledgments: The preceding is an excerpt from “Alpina” in Appalachia Journal, Summer 2003. These notes are based in part on accounts published in High Mountain Sports and the American Alpine Journal.

– Jeffery Parrette is “Alpina” editor for Appalachia Journal.