The catastrophic floods that struck Nepal and Tibet in late August caused widespread destruction and enormous loss of life, killing at least 1,386 people, with thousands more still missing.

The immediate priority since then has rightly been rescue, relief and restoring essential services.

But ever since the deadly floods, Nepal has been appealing to international tourists not to cancel their travel plans. Much of the country is still open to visitors. Without tourism, what has been a disaster for parts of the country will end up hurting communities across the nation.

For a country so dependent on tourism, one of the hardest questions is now when, and how, to encourage visitors to come back.

1 in 7 jobs rely on tourism

Almost 1.16 million foreign tourists visited Nepal last year, its best year since before the COVID pandemic.

Tourism supports about 15% of Nepal’s employment – almost one job in seven – and its benefits reach from hotels and trekking companies to guides, porters, restaurants, transport operators and remote communities. The industry contributes about 6–8% of Nepal’s gross domestic product.

But past disasters in Nepal and elsewhere show that getting tourism recovery right can be surprisingly difficult.

Encourage visitors back too soon and they can impede recovery. Wait too long, and communities that depend on tourism can........

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