A GOOD PIECE OF NEWS FOR INDIAN TRAVELERS IN NEPAL

 A good piece of news for Indian travelers in Nepal

In a recent development, it has now become possible for Indian travelers in Nepal to scan and pay directly from their mobile phones. This facility will definitely encourage Indian travelers to visit Nepal in greater numbers in the future. However, Nepalese travelers have to wait some more time to get the same facility in India. 

Nepalese entrepreneurs related to the tourism sector look euphoric at the new developments initiated by the Nepal and Indian governments. This facility has enabled Indian travelers to shop in Nepal and pay the bills on their mobile phones. 

Indian bike riders from left, Ajay Tiwari, Bhopal, Jasbinder Singh, Amritsar and Karan Sodhi, Dehradun, India.

“This is absolutely a good move by the government. You will see that this very move will have a positive impact on the Nepalese tourism sector. Now it has become much easier for Indian travelers to make their payments in Nepal. They don’t have to exchange Indian currency for Nepali or carry cash in their pockets. Everything has become much easier and more  comfortable," said Diwakar Shrestha, managing director of Pacific Tours & Travels at Lakeside, Pokhara. 

“We visit Nepal regularly, and most especially Pokhara. We never miss a visit to Bindyabasini Temple, as we are staunch devotees of the deity. Perhaps many people don’t know this fact: long ago, a Nepali king visited Vindhyanchal Parbat and brought the deity’s idol and installed it here. That’s why her name is Bindhyabasini. Moreover, in the past, we faced many troubles related to converting Indian currency into Nepali. We could not bring high-denomination notes with us as Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 had been banned by the Nepali government. There was a time when Nepali business people started refusing to accept Indian currencies at all. This was an effect of the demonetization of Indian currency in India. Many Nepali people in the tourism sector were more apprehensive of further demonetization of the Indian rupee. That prevented them from accepting any Indian currency. Thus, we need to exchange Indian currency for Nepali currency. All problems have come to an end. We can make direct payments with the help of our mobiles,” said Rakesh Dayal and his friends at the premises of Bindhyabasini temple. 

With the effect of the new facility, Indian travelers can now scan Khalti QR to make payments by using PhonePe and BHIM UPI. It has been learned that more efforts are being made to include more apps to enable payments through other Indian digital wallets in the near future. However, the transaction limit, according to the NPCI, has been set at IRs. 100,000 per person.

Majhikuna, a touristic place near Begnas Lake. Photo: LB Thapa

At a time when Indian travelers could benefit from new facilities in Nepal; on the other hand, Nepali travelers to India had to wait for some more time before the facility could be available for Nepali citizens as well. It has been learned that Nepali authorities are also working with their Indian counterparts to provide this facility to Nepali travelers in India. 

Actually, the present facility for Indian travelers has become possible due to a memorandum of understanding signed between India and Nepal last year. The intention behind this understanding was to make financial transactions much easier for Indian travelers and business people in Nepal. 

At present, Nepali people visit India for business, study, and medical purposes. They need to carry cash or debit cards with them. This is quite problematic for them. However, withdrawing cash through debit cards is quite expensive. But new initiatives made by Indo-Nepal governments will also benefit Nepalese people traveling to India. 

Last year, Nepalreceived over 315,000 Indian tourists by air alone. If Indian tourists who visit Nepal by land are included, then the number will further increase. In fact, according to a survey that was conducted by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) in 2017, over 1.2 million Indians visited Nepal by land, and their average stay in Nepal was 5.8 days. It was also noted that per Indian visitor, they spent Rs. 11,310 during their stay in Nepal. 

Moreover, many Nepalese who work in India find it quite difficult to send their hard-earned money back to Nepal. It would be much better if the Nepali government took this issue seriously with the Indian government. So that Nepali workers in India can send their money directly into their accounts in Nepal.

The author with the Indian bike riders at Lakeside, Pokhara, Nepal.

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Location: Nepal

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