I believe people travelling to Nepal should know about the following.

I believe RISC is concerned with ethical issues surrounding tourism in the Third World. I hope this is an appropriate place to ask what can be done to warn safety-concious women of sexual offences against tourists in Nepal.

A warning has appeared in the Nepalese press.

In a country like Nepal, which is dependent on tourism, it gives cause for serious concern when sexual offences against Western tourists are committed by men within the travel industry itself. The owner of a trekking and mountaineering company in Thamel has been committing such offences for many years with the collusion of his office manager.

The man in question is a Sherpa who married a Western girl and set up a trekking business. Clients from Britain, the U.S.A., New Zealand and other countries have enabled him to become wealthy through tourism. He also organises sporting events in the Himalayas.

The government of Nepal apparently makes no attempt to prevent his crimes against women. However, his guilt is substantiated by firm evidence.

Published in "Prakash", Kathmandu, Nepal.

The company is located in Jyatha, Thamel, Kathmandu. Competitive events are jointly organised by this company and a general sales agent based in a European country and which specialises in individual tailor-made journeys to Nepal. Clients stay at a hotel in Jyatha.

The guilt of this man and his accomplice was brought to the attention of the Home Minister and papers relating to their guilt existed in the office of the Nepalese Prime Minister. Recently rape and sexual harassment and sexual exploitation of tourists in Nepal has had some publicity on the Internet. In spite of smooth promises from the Ministry of Tourism, the only apparent sign of change is that the man appears to be using an alternative name. I do not know what alias his accomplice may have adopted.

Thanks for letting me publish this travel alert. I removed names as I am not sure of your policy on this. I do hope this info does some good as travel advice for women's safety! It's more radical than travel advisories from the Department of State or the American Embassy in Kathmandu.

Alex Armstrong

aldebaran@white-star.com

-- Alex Armstrong (aldebaran@white-star.com), June 06, 1998