Nepalis in Korea mobilize to support flood-stricken homeland as tourism industry faces fallout
Residents remove fallen trees along the Narayani River in Chitwan, Nepal, on Sunday, as recovery efforts continue following massive floods in the Himalayan region. Yonhap
The catastrophic flooding in Nepal and China has sent reverberations through Korea, with Nepali residents mobilizing to support their flood-ravaged homeland by sending relief funds and arranging memorial spaces. Meanwhile, tour operators are growing increasingly concerned as cancellations and changes to Nepal travel packages mount ahead of the peak Himalayan trekking season.
According to information gathered by the Hankook Ilbo on Monday, some 20 migrant workers belonging to an association of Nepalis from Sudurpashchim Province each contributed between 30,000 won (around $21) and 50,000 won, raising a total of 920,000 won, which they donated Saturday to the Nepali government’s Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund.
Sudurpashchim lies at Nepal’s westernmost edge, around 900 kilometers from the flood-hit Nuwakot region.
“I believe those of us earning money abroad should help our homeland when it is going through such hardship,” said one contributor, who participated even though he grew up far from the disaster area and had no family members affected by the flooding.
Some 60 Nepali organizations in Korea are reportedly raising or have already delivered relief funds and supplies. The Non-Resident Nepali Association’s South Korea chapter (NRNA Korea), which has more than 100 members, also plans to send donations to Nepal in the coming days and establish a memorial space near Dongdaemun, close to Nepal Street in Seoul’s Jongno District.
“We expect to complete the fundraising drive in about a week,” said Parbati Tamang, president of NRNA Korea. “We are also contacting religious organizations, including the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, to seek their assistance.”
Individuals are also contributing what they can. A 34-year-old Nepali resident from Nuwakot said he was raising money to purchase solar-powered phone chargers for the disaster zone.
“Nepalis I know in Korea are helping according to their means,” he said, adding that some had donated as much as 1 million won.
A woman posts photos of family members missing in the catastrophic floods at a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Sunday. Newsis
The catastrophic floods are also taking a considerable toll on the travel industries of both Nepal and Korea, as Korean tourists cancel trips or change their itineraries over safety concerns. On the popular Naver travel forum “Nepal Himalaya Trekking,” users have asked whether they should proceed with treks to Langtang scheduled for this fall. Others said they were considering switching to routes such as Manaslu, where no direct damage has been confirmed.
Langtang National Park, known along with Annapurna and Everest as one of the Himalayas’ three premier trekking destinations, is located in the flood-ravaged Rasuwa region.
“The floods have completely wiped out Syabrubesi, the starting point for Langtang treks, leaving the travel industry deeply concerned,” said an official at Nepal-based tour operator Let’s Go Hiking Nepal Treks. “Around 10 groups have asked to change their itineraries.”
For local tour operators in Nepal, the concern is immediate, as their livelihoods are at stake. Korean tourists typically visit between October and April, Nepal’s dry season. J. Vill Nepal, a Nepal-based tour operator, said inquiries about its travel packages had fallen from an average of eight or nine a day to just two since the floods.
“One group scheduled to depart in early September canceled its trip because of the floods,” a company official said. “We are worried that tourists will stay away as the peak season approaches.”
“Inquiries from travelers preparing for fall treks should be pouring in around this time, but they have fallen to about half of last year’s level,” said a 47-year-old man who has worked as a tour guide in Nepal for eight years. “The impact is being felt even in areas that were not affected by the floods.”
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.