The U.S. market is a hard nut to crack for Nepal tourism. Despite the fact that it is a dream destination, U.S. travelers are still hard to draw in.
Even though Nepal is rich in cultural and geographical diversity that fascinates Americans, the tourism industry has not been able to really tap into this long haul and high yield market that offers huge potential. The US tourist market consistently stands in the third position after India and China, for Nepal," writes Abhilasha Ryamajhi, for the Himalayan Times.
Most U.S. visitors come for the trekking but then fall in love with the Nepalese people
"I believe most American tourists come to Nepal to experience the astounding natural beauty of this country. They are interested in trekking and visiting places like Pokhara and the Annapurna range" Ineka Stoneham, a spokesperson, for the U.S. Embassy tells the Himalayan Times.
The Nepal Tourism Board is trying to change U.S. perceptions of Nepal and drive more U.S. visitation. They launched a U.S. Sales Mission, which took place in Washington, D.C.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Denver, Los Angeles, San Fransisco and Seattle.
"We share one of the best diplomatic relations with the US government. Further, American travel agencies have been promoting Nepal since the 1950s, so this market cannot be ignored," Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO of NTB told the Himalayan Times. "We ventured into the US market after a long break. The main objective of this mission was to convey the message that we are back in business and fully operational."
[READMORE]READ MORE: Nepal Looks to Grow Chinese Tourism Market [/READMORE]
Even though the U.S. mission was a success, there are still more challenges to overcome such as infrastructure, a revival of the tourism industry after the earthquake and more. To find out how Nepal is planning to attract the U.S. market, go here.
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