Tourists ponder Nepal Maoist threat

By Navin Singh Khadka
BBC correspondent in Kathmandu

Foreign tourism is vital to Nepal's impoverished economy.

Tourist Christine Mollhoff - unconcerned by the Maoist tactics

So how are visitors reacting to the latest news from the capital, Kathmandu?

Monday saw bombs exploding on the premises of a five-star hotel in the capital - the authorities blame Maoist rebels.

And the rebels say they will start a blockade of the capital on Wednesday.

It is not difficult to detect a sense of anxiety in many tourists when asked how about the Maoist activities in and around Kathmandu.

Italian Maria Rastelli and her group were supposed to check into the Soaltee Crowne Plaza, the target of Monday's bombs.

"We came to know about the explosions when we were on our way in from Tibet," she told BBC News Online.

"So our travel agent changed the hotel for us and we will explore the situation in Kathmandu tomorrow when we walk in the city streets."

The signs that all is not well were clear from the traffic delays from the airport into the capital.

"When we saw long queues of vehicles being checked by many security personnel, we felt things are not normal."

Long-term fears

A group of newly-arrived Spanish tourists were unwilling to talk to journalists. "We don't want to say anything because our families may get worried back home," one said.

The Maoists say they will blockade the capital from Wednesday

A manager at the five-star hotel where all these groups have been redirected to said the tourists appeared calm

"We don't see any worries in their faces," Chandra Mani Singh told the BBC. "But, we are afraid incidents like this will have an adverse impact on tourism in the long term."

Christine Mollhoff, a journalist from Germany, does not believe that tourists are at risk from the Maoists.

She said being in a hotel was safer than crossing the streets in Kathmandu.

Monday's explosions, she says, were a Maoist scare tactic.

"I don't think they would do violence here. The blasts nearby the hotel and the blockade are political warning to the establishment that they have to react to the Maoists. Perhaps this is the prelude to new peace talks."

I have had no problems other than the army checkpoints Martin Dow tourist from London

Tourists who are no strangers to violence back home also seemed unconcerned by the threat of violence.

Married couple Amit and Rachel Bir, from Tel Aviv, Israel, appeared blasé.

"We are not excited about these incidents because we get to see them quite often back home," Rachel said.

Amit said the less they knew of what was happening in the conflict, the better it was for their holidays.

The couple are planning to head off to the Mount Everest region soon.

"Once we reach there, we will really be far from all such news," Amit says.

Trek cut short

But some backpackers have rushed back to Kathmandu after hearing about the transport blockade around the city the rebels say will start on Wednesday.

Israeli Rachel Bir - used to news of violence and bombs

Martin Dow and Robert Hay, from London, cut their journey short while they were on the Langtang trek north of Kathmandu.

"I have been in different places in Nepal for the last five weeks but I have had no problems other than the army checkpoints," Martin said.

"From my personal point of view, I have not noticed any problem. I am sure things are going on but it is hard to tell what they are."

Robert Hay said it was difficult to gauge the situation from the local newspapers.

"You read an article and it throws up more questions about what happened than it explains."

Francois Roston from France says the atmosphere in Kathmandu has become tenser in the last two weeks.

"It is regrettable and we hope there will be a peace accord."

The president of the Nepal Association of Tour Operators, Basanta Raj Mishra, thinks there is little reason for tourists in the capital to be worried.

"Elsewhere, when blasts take place people get killed, but [in Kathmandu] we have seen that Maoists are only using explosives that are a bit stronger than crackers - no tourists have been harmed."

1999 was a peak year for Nepal's tourist industry, with some 500,000 visitors.

The fighting led to that figure being halved by 2002.

Since then there has been a steady recovery.

The question is, will that recovery be maintained in the light of the latest rebel activity?