‘Still a lockdown’: Deadly floods hit Nepal tourism as peak season begins

As Nepal moved into its busiest tourist months after the monsoon, travel-dependent livelihoods have been upended by a devastating late-August disaster. A glacial mountain collapse along the Nepal-Tibet border set off floods and landslides that killed over 1,450 people and destroyed highways that normally channel visitors to destinations such as Pokhara and Chitwan. Local entrepreneurs say the impact is widespread even in places that escaped physical damage. Tour planner and taxi driver Pushpraj Rimal of Kathmandu reported that most foreign bookings for the season were cancelled, leaving him with a fraction of the work he usually earns through commissions from hotels and trek operators. Street vendors and small-scale sellers have seen sales plunge: Seeta and Ramakant Nepali, who sell buttermilk and cottage cheese on the road between Kathmandu and tourist towns, said takings are down to roughly one-quarter of normal levels. Visitors and potential visitors gave multiple reasons for cancelling or rescheduling. Some cited destroyed roads and bridges, while others were deterred by the human toll and the sight of stranded victims. Several travellers told reporters they consulted embassy advisories before changing plans; the British embassy warned some areas were unstable on September 11, and the US embassy issued similar guidance designating no-travel zones. Nepal’s Indian charge d’affaires urged tourists to recognise that much of the country remains open and safe, while also acknowledging that certain regions should be avoided. Small hotels and resorts are reporting heavy losses after preparing for a full season. A resort manager in Chitwan said rooms had been fully booked for September but the business faced major shortfalls after bookings were cancelled and travellers assumed the whole country was affected. Industry figures underline the stakes: tourism contributes nearly 8% to Nepal’s gross domestic product and last year drew over 1.15 million visitors, with a substantial share arriving in the September–November window that typically drives incomes for many households. Workers and families dependent on tourism describe immediate hardships. Rimal said he can no longer afford a festival gift he had promised his children; other vendors reported days without any sales while roads were blocked and only government vehicles could pass. With livelihoods squeezed at the start of the season, businesses and workers across the tourism supply chain face uncertainty about recovery as the country copes with the disaster’s aftermath.