Patna: The flash floods and landslides in Nepal and Tibet have dealt a major blow to Bihar’s tourism sector ahead of the festive season, disrupting connectivity, halting bus services and triggering widespread cancellations for Nepal and other Himalayan destinations.Tourist movement to Kathmandu and Pokhara via Janakpur has dropped to zero over the past two days following the suspension of bus services from Jatahi and Janakpur to Kathmandu. Bus operators have halted services amid the unusual situation around the Trishuli River, while cross-border movement of tourists and private vehicles has also declined sharply.The impact is being felt across Patna, Gaya and Muzaffarpur, where tour operators are receiving cancellation requests for Nepal, Darjeeling, Sikkim and other hill destinations. Many families are postponing their trips to Dec or Jan, while others are opting for Rajasthan, Goa and South India.Tourism minister Kedar Prasad Gupta said the department was concerned and, under CM Samrat Choudhary’s guidance, would make every effort to ensure the state’s tourism sector did not suffer. His assurance comes at a time when the disaster has affected not only tour operators but also bus services, cab operators, hotels and other businesses dependent on tourist movement.Prakash Chandra, secretary of Tourism Association of Bihar, said, “After Sept, the tourist flow to Nepal increases. But the Nepal tragedy has created a fear among the Bihar residents to visit the neighbouring country in the upcoming holiday season.”Raman Jha, a tour operator, said tourist movement had virtually stopped following the floods. Kathmandu, Pokhara and Pashupatinath have long remained popular destinations for travellers from Bihar because of their proximity and strong cultural and social ties.“Tourists generally reach Kathmandu either by road via Raxaul and Birgunj or by taking a flight from Birgunj. However, most travellers from Bihar visit Kathmandu and other popular destinations in Nepal rather than undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra,” Jha said.Bus operators are also facing losses following the cancellation of scheduled journeys. Sanjeev Kumar, who operates the Bharat Nepal Maitri Sewa Bus, said damaged roads had forced operators to cancel bookings already made by passengers.“After water was released from Tibet, the roads became non-commutable, forcing us to cancel bookings that had already been made. However, once the roads are repaired and connectivity is restored, I am confident that the situation will return to normal and fresh bookings will resume, particularly during the peak business season around Durga Puja,” he said.Sandeep Kumar Singh, who facilitates tours to Nepal and other hill destinations, said several corporate groups and families had cancelled their plans. A corporate group of 40 people scheduled to leave for Nepal on Aug 31 cancelled its tour, while another group of 60 people dropped its Sept 3 trip. Several families planning trips during the end of Aug and the first week of Sept also cancelled.Tour operators said the disaster had created apprehension among tourists about travelling to hill stations. “This Dussehra was expected to be a bumper season after two dull years. But since the Nepal flood news, our Nepal bookings have dropped by almost 70%. Even those who booked Darjeeling and Sikkim are now asking to shift to Goa, Rajasthan or Kerala,” said Rakesh Singh, owner of a tours and travels agency.He said at least 120 Nepal bookings had been cancelled through his agency. Cab operators on the Indo-Nepal route are also facing losses. Md Shamim, a Raxaul-based cab operator, said none of his 10 SUVs had travelled to Nepal for the past 10 days because of damaged roads and frightened passengers.The Bihar Tourism Association estimates a 40-45% fall in outbound hill-station bookings from Bihar this Dussehra compared with last year. Travel agents said searches for Nepal tour packages had also declined sharply, while enquiries for beach and other relatively safer destinations had increased.Art, culture and youth affairs minister Pramod Kumar said, “Not only India but the state of Bihar is standing with the people of Nepal and Tibet. Bihar has very strong cultural and social ties with Nepal and the bond can never be broken and will get stronger in this period of catastrophe and emergency.”
