The upsurge in political unrest and recent imposition of curfew, which has scared away tourists from visiting Nepal, has given the tourism industry jitters, local tourism entrepreneurs said Wednesday.

Trekking agencies reported around 50 percent cancellation in bookings, while hoteliers stated that around 20 percent bookings have been canceled due to the latest escalation of violence.

Worse, several Kathmandu-based foreign embassies just asked their citizens to defer non-essential travel to Nepal.

"The preliminary estimates show that around 50 percent bookings have been canceled because of the latest incidents," said Deepak Mahat, immediate past-president of Trekking Agents Association of Nepal.

He said that after the news of curfew in Nepal broke in the international market, visitors immediately responded negatively expressing fear in visiting Nepal.

"The curfew has been lifted now, but there is no hope of the situation improving immediately," he said. "Prospective tourists would take some time to regain confidence," he said.

Furthermore, stalemate over the upcoming elections has surely left the tourists unsure whether things will return to normal over the next two weeks, he said.

Narendra Bajracharya, president of Hotel Association of Nepal ( HAN), said hotels have witnessed around 20 percent cancellations. "Business is plunging by the day," he said.

According to HAN, hotels are currently operating at an occupancy rate of less than 40 percent. "If the situation had not worsened to recent levels, hotels would have been operating with above 50 percent occupancy at present," Bajracharya said.

Source: Xinhua