The following communication was sent to the UIAA Office by Nepal Mountaineering Association President Santa Bir Lama on 28 April. It follows a previous communication from the NMA concerning Covid-19.
Dear President,
Please kindly accept warm greetings from Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA).
COVID 19, which emerged from China at the end of 2019 and now has become one of the strongest reasons for the human loss in China, Europe, USA and other Asian countries. With the aim to control the loss of humans from this disease, all the affected countries imposed the state of lockdown and it is still on. Global tourism sector has become speedily the most affected economic sector and Nepal’s tourism sector cannot remain unaffected from this pandemic disease.
Government of Nepal has imposed complete lock-down all over the country to control pandemic of COVID 19. The expedition on all the mountains of Nepal has been postponed since 12 March 2020 by paying attention to the possibility of transmission of decease. The postponement of expeditions will have direct long term effect on business, daily lives of mountain guides, workers and indirect effect on other economic sectors of Nepal. Currently, NMA is in the process of figuring out the loss that mountain tourism will have to bear due to COVID 19.
Government of Nepal has adopted all the possible measures to control the pandemic and it has received success to some extent with no human casualty till now. We have single agenda of controlling COVID 19 at the earliest to restore our mountain tourism as before so that its effect will of short term. Therefore, on behalf of Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), extends its request to all the alpine clubs for the same cooperation it received earlier for the promotion of our mountain tourism globally after the control of disease.
Thank you and with best regards
Santa Bir Lama
President
