Nepal’s tourism recovers after crises, but guides await work — Kathmandu Post
Nepal’s tourism industry is recovering again after natural disasters, the pandemic and political unrest, but earnings remain unstable for some workers in the sector. After a rock-and-ice avalanche and subsequent flooding in Rasuwa on August 26, tourists began cancelling trips at the start of the active trekking season, Kathmandu Post reports.
Guide Pasang Lama, who works for Yeti Mountain Adventure, said he is waiting for a call from the company with a new assignment. According to him, he also had no client last year. Another guide, Chhingha Sherpa of Active Sherpa Trekking, said that clients cancelled visits after the disaster, but bookings for October later began to recover.
Visitor flow
In 2025, Nepal received about 1.15 million foreign visitors, surpassing the one-million mark for the third consecutive year. The International Monetary Fund noted that visitor numbers recovered quickly after the September unrest, during which, according to the publication, more than 70 people were killed.
The country’s tourism sector had previously endured the devastating 2015 earthquakes and the near-total halt in international travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of foreign visitors fell from nearly 1.19 million in 2019 to approximately 230,000 in 2020. According to a 2021 estimate by the then Central Bureau of Statistics, 371,140 people were employed in tourism, or 11.5% of all people employed across various sectors.
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Tourist spending and workers’ situation
Nepal Tourism Board representative Sunil Sharma said the effects of the latest disaster on the industry could last several months. At the same time, he stressed that the sector had previously recovered even after major shocks.
Visitor numbers do not always reflect the situation of industry workers. Average daily spending by an international tourist declined to $33.09 in 2025 from $54 in 2017. Yogendra Shakya, chairman of Ace Hotels and Resorts, said recurring disasters are holding back the development of the tourism sector.
Tourism business representatives also point out that foreign travelers may perceive local incidents as a risk to the entire country. The publication notes that Nepal needs early warning systems, reliable communications in mountainous areas, better infrastructure, and diversification of tourist routes and seasons to reduce the sector’s vulnerability. Repeated disruptions may prompt guides and hotel workers to seek more stable jobs abroad.
