The discolored part comes first: Nepal really got socked, and tourism is in chaos. Pokhara hotels are burning, flights are halting, and scheduled hikes and treks have been abruptly canceled. A country that relies almost entirely on tourism dollars has been pulled to a standstill.
But the story doesn’t begin with money—it begins with fear.
Upasana Gill, an Indian tourist who thought she was only signing up for a volleyball team trip, ended up taping a video from a burning hotel in her attempt to escape. Upasana was in the spa when a group entered with sticks. By the time she got out, her room had burned, and so had all of her belongings.
Her words were chilling: “I only took with me my life.”
The protests happened for something entirely ironic: tourism was not the instigation. It actually began with a ban on social media in Nepal’s government, but the Gen Z protesters fuelled that outrage into something much larger—and it became an outright revolt against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and the political establishment that they accused of corruption. Within 48 hours, Oli had resigned.
The protests were not simply rallies of dissenting opinions. In total, 19 people lost their lives as a result of the protests. Parliament buildings and multiple officials’ private homes were set ablaze. Tourists were also targeted. “They don’t care whether you are a tourist or a worker or a local. Everyone is a target,” said Gill through a row of burning barricades that littered the streets.
Meanwhile, the Indian embassy in Kathmandu, found it necessary to quickly warn travelers. An advisory was sent to Indians who are considering travelling to Nepal right now, suggesting they reconsider, and for Indians in Nepal to stay indoors, follow what the local security forces have to say, and keep emergency numbers on call or WhatsApp.
Many hundreds of Indian travelers did not wait, quickly packed their bags, and crossed back to Uttar Pradesh at the Sonauli border. Travel to Nepal via flights was grounded, and even senior groups from Bhopal were forced to cancel their religious trip to Pashupatinath Temple.
Now, let’s go back to the larger context: Nepal’s tourist economy, dependent on Pokhara’s tranquil lakes and Kathmandu’s trekking hubs, is struggling. The economy is one of the hardest hit given the closures of airports for a good part of the last week and hotels currently in flames. Nepal’s once-great traveler industry is facing one of its deepest tests in decades.
President Ram Chandra Paudel has requested that people cease with the violence and proceed with dialogue. Dialogue period. However, there is still a lot of uncertainty at the moment for both travelers and locals as they navigate the streets.
So, here is the conclusion: an Indian tourist’s statement, a hotel burning and a country that is on the verge of losing buildings, and most importantly, the confidence of travelers who believed Nepal to be a peaceful destination.
