Kolkata: A week after flash floods devastated parts of Nepal along the Tibet border, the full impact of the disaster is beginning to show for the travel industry. From the suspension of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Nepal to cancellations of leisure trips, the tragedy has rattled traveller confidence just ahead of the festive season.While the damage is largely confined to Nepal-Tibet border and major tourist hubs remain operational, distressing visuals from the disaster have triggered cancellations and postponements. The Aug 26 disaster in the Rasuwa region damaged areas along the Trishuli and brought the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Nepal to a halt. The subsequent suspension of electronic border permits for Shigatse City, which covers Gyirong Port, has compounded the issue.“The biggest impact right now is on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Nepal. However, we are also seeing postponements of other tours to Nepal,” said Anil Punjabi of Travel Agents Federation of India. Travel agents said the impact was being felt beyond the affected region as images of the devastation triggered concerns over safety and connectivity. “All tours to Nepal have come to a halt and groups are asking for cancellations. There are no new enquiries for Nepal. Some travellers who were planning to visit Kathmandu for gaming have cancelled their trips,” said Anjani Dhanuka of Travel Agents Association of India.A couple from Jadavpur who had booked a two week trip to Mansarovar trip via Kerung in Sept has cancelled the plan after watching videos of the area being swept away. Another family from Park Street who had plans to travel to Kathmandu this week has switched it to Bangkok.Travel trade leaders, however, said the impact on mainstream tourist destinations was largely perception-driven. “Kailash Mansarovar and Rasuwa are likely to face significant disruption… Kathmandu, Pokhara and Lumbini have not witnessed any major destination-level impact,” said Subhash Goyal, chairman of STIC Travel & Air Charter Group.“Since last April, the industry has been pummeled by disasters — the Pahalgam terror attack, the Air India crash, the IndiGo scheduling fiasco and the war in Iran. All of them have had a lasting impact,” said IATO West Bengal chairman Debjit Dutta.
