Good news is flowing out of Nepal for the first time since it was hit by two major earthquakes.
The country this week started reopening attractions in a bid to entice travellers.
The destination, popular for its trekking and cultural activities, was left devastated in April this year when the earth shook, leaving some 8,000 people dead.
Among them were several tourists who were killed by an avalanche while climbing Mount Everest.
The quake also caused structural damage to popular tourist sites and homes.
Further devastation hit last month, when a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck east of Kathmandu.
Since, locals have joined together to clear the streets, get families back into houses and lure back tourists.
This week, the country took a big step in the tourist department, by reopening a major heritage site.
A ceremony with colourful costumes and ceremonial dancing marked the reopening of Bhaktapur – a 12th century town located 12 miles from Kathmandu.
The move comes despite caution from UNESCO urging the Nepalese government and tourists to ‘reconsider the necessity of visiting those sites’ because of their ‘precarious state’.
However, Nepal’s chief of tourism said the area was safe and unaffected by the quakes.
“This is an opportunity. You can’t see earthquake rubble anywhere.”
Tulsi Prasad Gautam, Chief of Tourism Development
Tourism is the largest industry in Nepal and saw about 798,000 people visit in 2013.
After the quake, tour operators such as G Adventures and Intrepid Travel launched appeals to help the country rebuild.
Intrepid announced earlier this month it had stepped up its assistance, by promising to donate all profits made on the next season to charities. Read on
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) continues to advise Australians to reconsider their need to travel to the destination.
