With peace returning to the country, foreign travel companies are beginning to put Nepal back into their travel packages, eKantipur.com website reported on Wednesday.

 

Travel agents say a number of American and European tour companies have lately resumed selling tour packages for Nepal, which means there will be increased flow of high-end tourists.

 

According to the leading media's website, Belgium's Master Tour, Belgium and Switzerland's Indi Tour, which had stalled trips to Nepal for a couple of years have just restarted organizing tour packages for the country, each used to send over 100 tourists, especially deluxe ones to Nepal every year.

 

Likewise, for the first time since 2002, the US-based Country Walkers is selling special trekking packages for Nepal.

 

"Looking at international tour operators' confidence on recent developments in Nepal, the number of companies sending their clients to Nepal is likely to grow tremendously in 2008," said Bikram Pandey, managing director of Himalaya Expeditions.

 

More tour operators will add Nepal to their list when they send their brochures to print coming June, the normal time for publication of brochures targeting travelers for the next year, the report said.

 

A large number of foreign tour companies halted their trips to Nepal over the years due to political uncertainty and violence.

 

The latest development has boosted optimism in the Nepali tourism industry, which recorded a staggering 62 percent rise in tourist arrivals in February, 2006, driven by easing of political tensions.

 

The number of tourist arrivals during the month had crossed over 25,000.

 

(Xinhua News Agency April 4, 2007)