tourism

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The Fulbari resort in Pokhara

Fulbari Resort & Spa

The Fulbari Resort and Spa in Pokhara, Nepal, was envisioned as the country’s most luxurious and only 5-star resort. It would re-imagine architectural wonders of the golden age when Newari kings ruled in the Kathmandu Valley, supplemented with a golf course, spas, casino, and other modern amenities. 

Set on a high bluff, with 26 acres, Fulbari, meaning “flower garden,” offers panoramas of Fishtail and Annapurna mountain ranges to the north and the Seti River gorges to the south.

In 2018, we stayed at a much more modest place in Pokhara, but I wish that we had at least visited Fulbari.

It’s now facing foreclosure, a victim of the general economic difficulties in Nepal and recently of Covid-19.

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Visitor density

Devil's Cove and beyond

Devil’s Cove and beyond

There are similarities between Cape Cod (CC) and Newfoundland & Labrador (NL). Both are beautiful, have long histories connected with the sea, are more residential than industrial. Even details of the fishing are similar–cod, lobster, and shellfish. Many people remark that NL is like CC of fifty years ago.

One obvious difference is the impact of tourism. That’s very evident on CC, especially in July through August, until school resumes. Tourism is important in modern NL, too, but it’s less intense and more spread out.

I did some calculations, which showCape Cod’s well-deserved appeal draw for visitors. They also show why Newfoundland & Labrador appeals to those who seek a place away from population centers, including centers created by lots of visitors.

My data are not ideal. They’re from different sources and years as well as being incomplete on points such as length of stay. One could argue about whether Labrador ought to be included in this kind of comparison.

Nevertheless, the larger story seems clear. It explains why life is much calmer in NL than on CC, especially in August

Cape Cod

visitors/year – 5.23 M
area – 339 mi²
visitors/year/area – 15,428

Newfoundland & Labrador

visitors/year – .50 M
area – 156,453 mi²
visitors/year/area – 3

NL area / CC area – 462

NL visitor density / CC visitor density .0002

The reciprocal of the last figure says that there are nearly 5000 CC visitors in a given area for a single NL visitor.

It’s only fair to mention that I haven’t been to Signal Hill in St. John’s yet. I expect that it may present a different picture from the tiny outport communities.