The Nepalese government, which has suffered massive damage from devastating floods, has appealed to international tourists not to cancel their travel plans.

Khadak Raj Poudel, Nepal's Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, said in a video posted on official social media yesterday (the 2nd), "Although some areas have been affected by these floods, the majority of tourist destinations are safe and ready to welcome visitors," asking those who have planned trips to Nepal not to cancel them.

[Khadak Raj Poudel / Nepal's Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation: Your tourism provides immense help to Nepal as it fights the tragic disaster of flash floods.]

He also emphasized that the visits of tourists provide direct assistance to the recovery of the local economy.

[Khadak Raj Poudel / Nepal's Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation: It helps everyone engaged in the tourism industry, including guides and hoteliers.]

The Nepalese government has stepped forward with this appeal because the tourism industry, a major source of revenue, faces inevitable blows amid the massive scale of the flood damage.

The scale of the flood damage in Nepal is currently estimated at about 7 trillion won, which amounts to one-tenth of last year's gross domestic product.

With more than 1 million foreign tourists visiting Nepal last year alone, the tourism industry accounts for the largest portion of Nepal's national economy.

(Reported by Park Se-won | Video edited by Kim Min-ji | Design by Lee Su-min | Produced by SBS Digital News)