This Friday (25 April) marks ten years since the 2015 Nepal earthquake. Intrepid had hundreds of travellers in Nepal when it hit, and while the immediate crisis made headlines, the longer story has been about recovery and how tourism played a key role in helping the country rebuild.
We’ve pulled together a few reflections, including first-hand accounts from guides who were on the ground in 2015, and insights from the team today as Nepal experiences a post-COVID travel boom.
Here are some key highlights about Nepal:
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Tourism recovery milestone: In 2015, Intrepid travellers to Nepal dropped by -40% YoY. In the year after the earthquake (2016), the number of travellers increased by +54% YoY and in 2017 had exceeded pre-earthquake levels. While numbers dropped again during COVID-19, in 2024 Intrepid welcomed its highest number of travellers to Nepal in the past decade, exceeding 2014 numbers by over 1,000. In 2024, Intrepid was recognised as Nepal’s top foreign currency earner among trekking agencies, a powerful signal of the tourism industry’s resurgence.
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10 years on: Former tour leaders, operations staff and local experts share their first-hand stories and speak to how far Nepal has come.
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Legacy of resilience: Intrepid’s “Namaste Nepal” initiative raised over AUD $750,000 for local recovery efforts, including infrastructure repair, education access, and women-led businesses.
Spokespeople available this week to comment on the lessons from Nepal’s recovery :
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Ashish Verma, Regional GM, North & South Asia (based in the region)
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Natalie Kidd, Managing Director Asia – available for interviews today only
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Plus, our Nepal-based staff who experienced the earthquake firsthand and are available for email interviews.
