Amazing Thailand beckons 34.27pc more Nepali tourists this year
REPUBLICA
KATHMANDU, Oct 29: Nepali middle-class has grown in the last few years and so has people´s disposable income, which they are splurging not only on the ever mushrooming number of branded clothes, malls, cars and SUVs and technology like laptops, high-end televisions and mobile phones entering the country. The middle-class has also started traveling abroad, not just as students and for work or business purpose but also as tourists. And Thailand is becoming the most preferred destination.
According to the Royal Thai Embassy in Kathmandu, the number of Nepalis receiving tourist visas between January and September has rose by 34.27 percent this year. The ´Destination Thailand´ campaign saw the Thai government waive its visa fees and encourage airlines to provide discounted promotional rates on a large number of seats. Thai Airways and Nepal Airline Corporation responded positively making a visit to Thailand much more accessible.
But this is not the only reason. It is the whole package of Thailand, boosted by lower costs, which appeals to Nepali travelers, travel agents say.
"Thailand is the number one outbound destination for Nepalis. It´s got everything from beaches to shopping to large buildings and infrastructure, culture and much more. A package for Thailand can also be cheaper than comparable ones for India," Ravin Man Bajracharya, CEO of Lalit Mandap Travels and Tours, says.
After the announcement of Destination Thailand, the number of Nepalis receiving tourist visas went up by 91.91 percent in March. A total of 1,470 Nepalis received tourist visas and 373 received transit visas during the month. Last year, the figures were 766 and 409 respectively.
The next most popular months were around the Dashain-Tihar season. In August and September, 67.88 percent and 67.64 percent more Nepalis received tourist visas. The number peaked in September when 1,554 and 519 Nepalis received tourist and transit visas respectively.
"Sometimes we have received between 120 to 150 visa applications a day. The airfare is lower right now and the hotels in Thailand have also slashed prices, keeping in mind the global recession which has cut down worldwide leisure travelling," Jirajett Wongnorraset, first secretary at the Royal Thai Embassy, told myrepublica.com. "Not only vacationers, we have also seen a rise in medical tourists. We have brought in people from Thai hospitals here to give seminars and attract more Nepalis to Thailand for medical-related visits," he says. Wongnorraset says the visa fee waiver will continue till March 2010.
The embassy also asked local travel agents to come up with special packages. As a result, the rates went as low as Rs 22,299, excluding tax and surcharge. When rounded up, low-end packages came for around Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000 per person for a four to five day package.
Travelers also chose to pay more for hotel upgrades. "Our packages are very flexible and we customize it and upgrade hotels and add destinations according to the traveler´s needs," Astha Thapa, sales assistant at President Travel and Tours, told myrepublica.com.
Bangkok and Pattaya were the most popular destination but some also went to Phuket and Chiangmai, while others even chose to go to Malaysia and Singapore from Thailand, agents say.
And it´s not just couples and families that are traveling. "We found a lot of friends going on vacation together and also a number of corporate houses are sending their employees on these vacation packages," Thapa says.
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Amazing Thailand Beckons 34.27pc More Nepali Tourists This Year
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