Impact of COVID-19 on Tourism in Nepal

Tourism is one of the world’s largest and fastest growing industries. It acts as an engine for development through foreign exchange earnings and the creation of direct and indirect employment. Tourism plays a vital role to uplift the living status of people in specific areas worldwide. Tourism has potential for creating jobs and encourages income-generating activities and it also leads to infrastructure development. In Nepal, tourism has uplifted the socio-economical condition of the locals and given them ample opportunity to better their lives. It has created path towards the elimination of poverty and has significantly contributed to overall development of the nation. It is also one of the major sources of foreign exchange earning of the country. However, due to the impact of COVID-19, tourism has suffered unprecedented setback and its effect can be seen on global economy. It has rendered millions of people unemployed and huge investments have frozen and unable to generate business and move the economy. This study will analyze and study the challenges faced by tourism industry post COVID-19 in Nepal and try to provide answers for the recovery of tourism in Nepal. This study follows the qualitative methodology and the data is obtained through primary and secondary sources. As we move into the new era of travelling, tourism industry needs to adopt and focus on safety, personal hygiene and social distancing. Nepal is capable to adapt to the “new normal” and bounce back as it did post 2015 earthquake. But Nepal’s poor infrastructure, lack of implementation of rules and people’s laidback attitude could prove to be a hurdle and deter tourists and usher them to a more organized destination.

Review of Macadamia Production in Malawi: Focusing on What, Where, How Much Is Produced and Major Constraints

Macadamia is an essential commodity crop in Malawi. The nuts are a lucrative commodity and are used for household consumption, income generation among farming families and as a foreign exchange earning crop at country-level. Macadamia production in Malawi has increased significantly in recent years. Malawi is the seventh top producer of macadamia nuts valued at £23.5 million, with a global market share of 3%. In 2018, the country was the fourth-largest exporter of macadamia nuts that were valued at £18.2 million. The majority (90%) of this crop was grown by large commercial estates with smallholder’s production only contributing about 10% of the total crop production. However, the smallholder sector is vital for the future growth of the macadamia sector in the country. Further, Malawian smallholders consider macadamia production as a low-input crop with large returns per unit area (£10.7 kg−1 ha−1), and it thus a lucrative commodity with high potential for poverty reduction and wealth creation among these farming families. This paper, therefore, explores: (i) the historical and current trends in macadamia nut production in Malawi; (ii) analyses the country’s macadamia value chain focusing on smallholder farmer contributions; and (iii) discusses the constraints of smallholder macadamia production in Malawi for informed policymaking. We conclude that the synthesis of the Malawian macadamia sub-sector provides an understanding of the vital contributions of macadamia to Malawi’s economic growth and improvement of livelihoods.

Pengaruh sadar wisata, kemenarikan fasilitas dan jarak terhadap minat berkunjung kembali pada objek wisata Merangin Garden di Kabupaten Merangin

Tourism is the fastest growing foreign exchange earning subsector and the increase is almost happening in all regions, Merangin regency has a great potential in tourism. The purpose of this study is to analyze the characteristics of visitors or tourists, identify factors that affect the interest of tourists to visit again, and how important is the participation of the community around the tourism object. The data used in this study are primary data obtained from questionnaires and direct interviews with a sample of 35 people. The sampling method used is convenient random sampling. The data analysis tool used is quantitative with multiple liner analysis used Eviews 9 software. Merangin garden tourist characteristics in Merangin district are known that the average age of the visitors is 39. The sex of visitors or tourists is male, education is high school / equivalent, the number of dependents of visitors is 4 people where visitors live are Merangin and surrounding communities. The distance between visitors to the Merangin Garden attraction is 30 km on average.

Review of Macadamia Production in Malawi: Focusing on What, Where, How Much Is Produced and Major Constraints.

Macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia) nuts have become an essential commodity crop in Malawi. The nuts are a lucrative commodity and are used for household consumption and income generation among farming families and as a foreign exchange earning crop at country-level. In addition, macadamia production has increased significantly in recent years in the country. Currently, Malawi is the seventh top producer of macadamia nuts, with a global market share of three percent (1,846 metric tonnes on kernel basis). In 2018, exports of macadamia kernel had a value of US$24.3 million (£19.8 million or MKW 18.01 billion). However, the bulk (85%) of the crop is grown on large commercial plantations, but the smallholder sector is emerging as vital for the future growth of the macadamia sub-sector in Malawi. Furthermore, Malawian smallholders consider macadamia production to be a low-input crop with large returns per unit area (US$14.37 kg-1ha-1 or MKW 10,701kg-1ha-1) thus a lucrative crop with high potential for poverty reduction and wealth creation among these farming families. This paper, therefore, explores: (i) the historical and current trends in macadamia nut production in Malawi; (ii) analyses the country’s macadamia value chain and (iii) discusses the constraints of macadamia production in Malawi for informed policymaking. Thus, the synthesis of the Malawian macadamia sub-sector provides an understanding of the vital contributions of macadamias to Malawi’s economic growth and improvement of livelihoods.

The Influence of Electronic Word of Mouth and Attractiveness Towards Revisit Intention With Visiting Decision as an Intervening Variable (Case Study on Tourists in Makassar City)

One of the foreign exchange earning sectors, encouraging economic growth, increasing regional income, empowering the community's economy, and expanding employment opportunities in the tourism sector. Interestingly a tourist attraction does not necessarily indicate tourist satisfaction with the tourist attraction, which can have an impact on interest in return visits. This study aims to determine e-WOM positive and significant influence on visiting decisions, find out the attractiveness of a positive and significant effect on visiting decisions, know e-WOM has a positive and significant effect on the revisit intention, find out the attractiveness of a positive and significant influence on revisit intention, as well as to determine to visit decision has a positive and significant influence on local tourist revisit intention to attractions in the city of Makassar. The population in this study is the number of tourists determined by 400 respondents. Data collection techniques through questionnaires, literature studies and observations, using path analysis techniques (path analysis). The results showed that directly e-WOM have a positive and significant influence on local tourist visiting decision in the city of Makassar. Attractiveness has a positive and significant influence on tourist visiting decisions. e-WOM has a positive and significant influence on tourist revisit intention. Attractiveness has a positive and not significant influence on tourist revisit intention, and directly, visiting decision has a positive and significant influence on local tourists to revisit intention in the city of Makassar.

INCORPORATION OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY CONCEPT TO THE APPAREL INDUSTRY: LITERATURE REVIEW

The apparel industry is one the most foreign exchange earning industries for developing countries. However, it is one of the notable polluting industries in the world too. Additionally, there are numerous factors affecting the economy of the industry, for example COVID 19, and the industry needs to reinvent from those issues by forcing itself to live. Thus, Circular Economy (CE) can act as a potential solution to address the issues related to both environmental and economic factors of the apparel industry. CE is a business strategy to gain economic benefit, minimise environmental impacts and increase the efficiency of resource consumption. CE concept has been practised in various countries such as China, Bangladesh, Europe, Australia and Germany. However, it is still a novel concept in Sri Lanka even though Sri Lankan apparel industry has a solid reputation globally for their high-quality, reliability, lead time, and social accountability. Introducing the CE concept into Sri Lankan apparel industry will help to overcome the financial issues in a sustainable way. With the intention of introducing CE concept to Sri Lankan apparel industry, this paper intends to review the application of CE in global context and in the context of apparel industry, their benefits and challenges in order to further investigate the suitability of CE concept to SL apparel industry. This paper is therefore based on a comprehensive literature review. Hence, it highlights the literature findings on the applicability of CE in apparel industry, its benefits and challenges when adopting CE into apparel industry. This basic finding will aid to assess the possibility of incorporating CE concept within the Sri Lankan apparel industry. The key findings of the research, environmental gain, economic benefit, resource optimisation and collaboration among stakeholders are the key benefits of CE. The main challenges are expensive, advanced technology, measuring the benefits especially financially, lack of support, knowledge, awareness, commitment and leadership, systematic regulation, social and cultural acceptance.

Eastern Anatolıa Regıon Wıth Respect To Tourısm Based Development

Significant developments and changes happened in economic, technological, political, social and cultural fields in recent years crucially affected tourism sector/segment. Despite the fact that Turkey, which possesses a majör potential with rich cultural, historical and natural values, has a remarkable advantage in terms of tourism, it couldn't enjoy this advantage for long years. Development of tourism sector/segment in Turkey is encountered in post 1980 era. In this era Tourism Incentive Law, taking decisions regarding Promotion of Foreign Exchange Earning Services and Businesses, enactment of Foreign Capital Law, decisions taken on the subject of bending law no. 31, Protection Order of Turkish Currency Value became crucial factors in development of tourism. As a result of these decisions taken, tourism income, which was 326 million USD in 1980, has risen up to 35 billion USD in 2017. Tourism's share in GDP has risen from %0.6 to the level of %4 for the same years. Tourism sector/segment is gaining greater importance in decreasing regional derangement/conflict, developing of underdeveloped regions which lack sufficent resources and opportunities for agriculture and industrial sector on the other hand have rich tourism potential. Main purpose of this research is measuring potiential usability of Eastern Anatolia Region, which has a unique beauty in terms of tourism, so much the more Hakkari zone and providing recognisability by destroying negative image of this zone.

Response of Economic Diversification To Gender Inequality: Evidence From Nigeria

Purpose: The danger inherent in anchoring the growth prospects of an economy on a single product has long been established and for decades now, Nigeria has remained a mono-product economy with all her foreign exchange earning possibilities anchored only on oil revenue. The paper sought to investigate the imperatives of gender equality in expanding the economic base of Nigeria. Methodology: Based on the assumption of increasing returns to scale for the manufacturing sector and constant returns to scale for the primary sector, it apparently follows that a country’s manufacturing output will grow faster (or slower) than that of the rest of the world if it had an initial comparative advantage in manufacturing (or primary) sector as hypothesized by the Prebisch-Singer Hypothesis. Employing Engel-Granger and Error Correction Model in an endogenous growth framework were used in this study. Main Findings: This study found that the existing gender inequality has negative effect on the drive to diversify the economy by reducing the potential pool of human capital and promoting gaps in opportunities. Applications: These programmes will help on female self-employment, increased ratio of female to male labour force participation rate and a reduction in the ratio of female to male in vulnerable employment should be included in policy formulations. Novelty/Originality: The efforts should be sustained that totally remove or reduce to their barest minimum all patriarchal tendencies that exploit the female gender and place them at unequal gender relations. It is also recommended that social institutions such as social protection mechanisms should be entrenched as an avenue to reduce the vulnerabilities faced by women.

Medical Tourism in India

In the recent era medical tourism has certain significance place in the tourism industry, In India now famous for low cost medical service with high quality medical treatment. The countries where medical tourism is being actively promoted include Greece, South Africa, Jordan, India, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. Recently, Indian healthcare sector shows huge advancements in fields such as technology, infrastructure, and manpower, catapulting India as one of the preferred medical destinations in the world and invariably paving path to an entirely new sector, the medical tourism industry. The medical tourism in India will touch the $8 billion mark by the end of 2020, the influx of the population that experiences a saving of close to 50 to 70 percent on medical tourism industry. Cost effectiveness is a major factor in India, because a patient can undergo any type of treatment at an extremely affordable cost without compromising the quality and other reason is of course the availability of medical visa without any hassle. The Indian government predicts that, India $17-billion-a-year healthcare industry could grow 13 per cent in each of the next six years, boosted by medical tourism, which industry watchers say is growing at 30 per cent annually. This study has been focused by the fully by secondary data, which are collected from the Indian tourism department, and also it analyze the growth percentage in Past years, it will be more helpful to medical service providers. Mainly this study’s objective was examining the foreign exchange earning option through medical tourism and analysis of annual growth of foreign tourist in India. It proves that the annual growth an efficiency of handling capacity of Indian medical the medical industry

ANALYSING STUDENT TOURIST MOVEMENT BASED ON THE UTILITY MAXIMISATION IN DESIGNING TOUR PACKAGE IN JOHOR BAHRU

Tourism industry has played a vital role in the economic development of Malaysia by driving influx of people, capital and commodities into a potentially wealthy country. Tourism also contributed to a foreign exchange earning of most South East Asian countries including Malaysia. The aim of this paper is to analyse and understand the tourist movement pattern from utility maximisation point of view in reference to the spatial pattern of tour package design in Johor Bahru. Tourist movements from one destination to the other solely depends on the tourist attractions sites available in the area and this corresponds to tourist decision on where, when, how and what time to move from one attraction site to the other. The workflow of this study until the final product is the geospatial map of the tour package that has been statistically analyse from the design questionnaire issued to students on tourism aspects. The method used in identifying and determining the utility maximisation of the arrival time and duration time for each attraction is the mode model. From the statistical result, data validation has been constructed to identify whether the result obtain is significantly accepted or fit by using the elementary statistical test. The final output has been presented in various graph to identify the maximum utility for the arrival and time duration for tour package. *For example, tour package G contains Hutan Bandar, Johor Zoo, Johor Grand Palace, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee Bangunan Kedai Lama and Bazar Karat as the listed attractions together with their corresponding arrival times and durations of time spent.