Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on Nepal’s Tourism Sector: A Study of Mental Health Challenges among Industry Stakeholders

In an underdeveloped country like Nepal, tourism is one of the pillars of the country’s development. Tourism not only earns foreign currencies but also creates employment opportunities in both urban and remote areas. Nepal has witnessed significant improvement on socio-economic condition and lower rates of poverty. Nonetheless, COVID-19 impacted the tourism industry massively, and Nepal is still struggling to restore its previous economic growth. Other studies in Nepal focused on the holistic impact of COVID-19 on tourism. But this study was aimed at the psychological effect of it on Nepal’s tourism industry. To learn specifically how people are still suffering due to COVID-19’s impact on Nepal’s tourism and what people are doing to mitigate the impact, analytical methodology was used. Overall, the study suggests that both stakeholders and employees had mental turbulence due to financial crises during the pandemic. Some people had suicidal tendencies, and some people left the country for foreign employment. Moreover, some people engaged in anti-social activities for their survival. This study can help the concerned to realize how both employers and employees can help to minimize their traumatic experiences of the past pandemic. The government should identify how many people from the tourism sector have been directly affected by the pandemic and help them pay their debts through different schemes.