Mountain cable car compete tourism market in Nepal

By Bagaman Kulung:

Thai Airways offers Kathmandu Bangkok round tickets in around of 335 USD that can be made in

Sherpeni col 6135 m. pass (Photo Purna Kulung)

2 days, while Nepalese trekkers are offering to locals of Kathmandu to visit Mustang and Namche that requires 10 days with more or around expenses. Thai Airways a leader member agency of star alliance a network company of the world's top 27 airlines brings tourists to Thailand in very cheap price through their networks that schedules for or more than 18,521 flights daily by using 1,321 airports of 193 countries. But Nepal Airlines established in the same year with the Thai Airways flights 5 countries daily. This is just an example of how difficultly Nepalese tourism sector is doing competition in the international tourism industry. If we look in major touristic cities of Nepal, hotel entrepreneurs are not getting sufficient electricity and drinking water that directly effects in their room standard since they cannot manage temperature of room with sufficient hot and cold water. Of course our cities are more polluted than others. But because of those minors we are selling our service in 4 time's cheap price than of European touristic destinations. We are conducting home stay that is for experiences in cheap price for tourists. But we have also not so much alternatives of it. This is what in reality of the Nepalese tourism sector is facing in the tourism markets. 

Napal has a lot of fantastic destinations in terms of geographical, cultural diversity and natural beauties. But why we are not meeting competition? Everest region is ranked as the top fourth best trekking destination in over the world after GR20 France, Inca Trail Peru and Pays Dogan Mali but less number of tourists visits this area why? Lack of easy access is the main reason why less and less tourists visit those areas. If we look our major touristic mountain destinations from Kathmandu to east, those are all in the four major valleys that are Tamakoshi, Khumbu, Setipokhari and Arun valley. Due to geographical difficulties, it takes at least 3 months to visit those all valleys.

Tourists easily access Gaurishankar base camp of Dolakha under Tamakoshi valley from Kathmandu by bus till Jagat then walking. But to access next Khumbu valley from Tamakoshi tourists have to cross Tashilapcha pass of at least 5,700 m. Normal tourists without mountaineering training and equipments, can't pass this place and have to back through the same way they reached there. Then if they want to access Khumbu valley, they have to go through Charikot, Jiri, Lukla, Namche and Thame that requires at least 22 additional days. Tourists who reach Thame can visit so many mountains including Everest under Khumbu valley. But to access next Setipokhari valley to see more than dozen of mountains including Barunje and Chamlang they have to pass Amphulapcha of at least 5,800 m at Chhukung place. Again tourists can't cross Amphulapcha without equipments and back to Lukla through the same way they went and have to reach Setipokhari valley through Tholdanda, Kothe, Naulekh and Khahare that requires additional a month. Similarly when tourists reach Setipokhari and want to pass next valley that is Arun where more than dozen of next mountains including Mt. Makalu are situated, they have to cross Sherpeni-col pass of 6,135 m. Similarly they can't cross this pass also and have to back through the Ingkhu valley to Arun valley through Kenpa pass that requires more than a month. Not only Nepalese but also world's top famous mountains are under those four valleys, but really difficult to access, that is the main reason why tourists of the world rank in front position but not visit our touristic Himalayan destinations.

To make easy access to those mountain valleys, we can construct mountain cable cars in those Tashilapcha, Amphulapcha and Sherpeni-col that is also the way of proposed Upper Great Himalayan trail. If we could do that, tourists from Kathmandu by bus can easily access Khumbu valley, Setipokhari valley and Arun valley in at least two weeks. Due to rapid ongoing road construction we will access bus service till Gaurishankar base came, Thame and Chhikung of Khumbu valley and Arun valley and those valleys can be bridged by the three cable cars. It may take maximum a decade or more, but why not we dream about it now? Why not we include this plan in our national plan as national pride project? In this case tourists will get a lot of short and long trekking alternatives like Kathmandu to Khumbu valley and round through Salleri, Kathmandu to Khumbu and Setipokhari valley and round through Salleri or Halesi Khotang and Kathmandu to Khumbu, Setipokhari and Arun valley and round through Tumlingtar by bus or plane.

If we could develop those infrastructure, that makes more easy to compete international mountain tourism in Nepal. Otherwise tourist again rank our destinations in the world's top positions but will not visit. What we have to be considered is tourists calculate limitation of time, budget and facilities before starting their visit. That is the reason why 55 million tourists visit China, 26 million visit India yearly but hardly 0.7 million visit Nepal.