I heartily congratulate Daniel Lak for his witty but accurate assessment of the present tourist slump in Nepal compared to Thailand ("Welcome to Nepal", #133). Indeed the heart of the problem lies with the obsolete visa regulations here. You all remember that these regulations were enforced in the seventies, in order to get rid of the large hippy population, which had somehow tarnished the country's image. I came to Nepal for the first time two years ago, leading a small group of professionals and developed a very deep attachment to this great country and its warm population.

I came for another visit a few months ago and Nepal grew on me. It was an ideal base for writing, painting and drawing. I was renewing my visa regularly, at $30 a full page stamp for one month. Maximum stay per calendar year is five months. I have met a number of foreign volunteers, full of goodwill, who donate happily and discreetly their time and meagre savings to provide educational support in some remote destitute areas, and these wonderful people, mostly students, tell me they have to pay the same exorbitant visa fees!

This is the main deterrent to anyone with the wish and means to stay longer, and to any would-be small to medium investor. In Chiang Mai, north-Thailand, I conducted a research on the community of Western expatriates. All of them lived off their pension-an average $950 a month, spent locally. They had to renew their visa every 30 days and exceptions are made for those with big investments. The initial visa is free on arrival and can be renewed for as long as you want, free of charge. Many long-term residents have followed this method for years. And in the long run they contribute a significant amount of hard currency to Thailand.

Three years ago, we studied the impact of tourism in Egypt's Sinai. The facts and figures corroborated what most of us know: the long-term visitor, even the "cheap backpacker", contributes more to the local economy and livelihood over a period of 6 months-an average of $500 a month on accommodation, food and leisure-than the all-inclusive package tourist, who in 2001 spent a total of about 12 days in Nepal. Most of the payment is made in the country of origin and spending money is about $200 for a fortnight.

Nepal needs its tourism boosted. It needs fresh capital influx with lots of small investors who won't pull out easily. Daniel Lak has pointed Nepal in the right direction.

Bernard Lazarevitch,
France