Nepal’s Gen Z Uprising: Deadly Protests Spark Tourism Crisis as Arrivals Plunge 30%

By-Andrew rose|America News World
September 16, 2025 – Kathmandu, Nepal

In the shadow of the snow-capped Himalayas, Nepal’s vibrant tourism heartland has ground to a halt. The country’s deadliest protests in decades—fueled by a short-lived social media blackout and years of festering corruption—have unleashed chaos just as the peak trekking season kicked off. With 72 lives lost, over 2,000 injured, and iconic landmarks like Parliament reduced to charred ruins, the Himalayan kingdom grapples with a humanitarian and economic double blow.

Tourist arrivals have nosedived 30% compared to last year, turning bustling hubs like Kathmandu’s Thamel district into ghost towns of shuttered guesthouses and idle guides.

The unrest erupted on September 8, when Nepal’s government, led by Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, imposed a sweeping ban on 26 social media platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, and X—for failing to register under new regulations aimed at curbing “fake news and hate speech.”

What began as a digital clampdown quickly ignited a powder keg of youth frustration. Gen Z protesters, many in school uniforms and wielding placards reading “Youths Against Corruption” and “Enough is Enough,” stormed the streets of Kathmandu and other cities, decrying nepotism, wealth disparities, and economic stagnation.

In the weeks prior, viral TikTok and Reddit campaigns had exposed the opulent lifestyles of politicians’ children—dubbed “Nepo Kids”—juxtaposed against Nepal’s per capita income of just $1,400 annually, amplifying calls for accountability.

The spark turned to inferno as thousands breached Parliament’s barricades. Riot police responded with tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, and live ammunition, killing 19 in Kathmandu alone on the first day, with two more deaths in Itahari.

By Tuesday, September 9, the death toll had climbed, and protesters—defying curfews—set fire to government buildings, including the Singha Durbar administrative complex and the Supreme Court. Homes of top leaders like Oli, Sher Bahadur Deuba, and Pushpa Kamal Dahal were torched, alongside a private school owned by Deuba’s wife.

The Hilton Kathmandu and Hyatt Regency hotels, symbols of elite excess near sacred sites like Boudhanath Stupa, suffered severe damage from looting and arson, with the Hilton’s losses alone exceeding 8 billion Nepalese rupees (about $60 million).

Overall, Nepal’s hotel industry tallies damages at over 25 billion rupees, a devastating hit to a sector still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oli, a veteran Communist leader in his fourth term, resigned abruptly on September 9, citing the need for a “constitutional solution” amid the bloodletting. The ban was lifted hours later by Communications Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung, who bowed to “Gen Z demands.”

In a historic twist, 73-year-old Sushila Karki—affectionately called “Aama” (Mother) by locals—emerged as interim prime minister, marking Nepal’s first female leader in this role.

From her base in Dhapasi, Karki, a veteran activist, has pledged unity and reconstruction, announcing 1 million rupees (about $7,000) in compensation for families of the deceased—the legal maximum—and aid for the injured. She urged calm in a national address, dissolving the House of Representatives and scheduling elections for March 5, 2026.

Yet, the scars run deep. Hospitals overflow with gunshot victims and rubber-bullet wounds, while candlelight vigils honor the fallen outside the vandalized Parliament.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a “thorough investigation” into the violence, with Human Rights Watch decrying “disproportionate force” and demanding accountability.

Protesters, leaderless but fueled by Discord chats and TikTok virality, insist this is no mere outburst: “This is our revolution. It’s our turn now,” one 18-year-old survivor told reporters from his hospital bed, vowing to expose “files of corruption.”

The economic fallout is starkest in tourism, Nepal’s lifeline contributing nearly 8% to GDP and drawing 1.2 million visitors annually for Everest Base Camp treks and Himalayan vistas. September to December is prime time, but arrivals from January to August 2025 had just hit pre-pandemic highs at 736,562—now jeopardized by the turmoil.
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In Thamel, the neon-lit backpacker haven, shops, pubs, and restaurants sit deserted. Trek organizer Ram Chandra Giri, 49, idles outside his Japanese eatery: “I’m sitting idle because there are no tourists. Many groups have cancelled in September—35% of mine.”

Hotelier Renu Baniya reports a full-month wipeout: “All bookings cancelled.”

Global travel advisories compound the pain. Images of burning Parliament and the Hilton prompted non-essential travel warnings from multiple nations, rerouting flights and stranding trekkers. The Nepal Tourism Board, led by CEO Deepak Raj Joshi, logs an 8-10% cancellation rate in recent days, with overall arrivals down 30%.

“Damage to government buildings and hotels might give a negative message not only to visitors but to investors,” Joshi told reporters, emphasizing transparency: “We have to be honest—if the situation isn’t good, we won’t say ‘visit us.'” Indian tour operators, eyeing Durga Puja and Diwali crowds, fear 15-20,000 West Bengal visitors will bail, citing “physical factors” like unrest as a long-term barrier.

Amid the debris—acrid smoke lingering over torched vehicles and rubble-strewn streets—hope flickers. Gen Z activists have pivoted to cleanup, sweeping Kathmandu’s alleys in viral videos that showcase resilience.

The Tourism Board offers free visa renewals for those impacted, while locals flood social media: “Nepal back to normal. Please visit our beautiful country.”

German tourist Franz, 55, who stayed through the fray, echoes the sentiment: “Our family begged us to leave, but we never felt insecure.”

As Karki’s interim government steers toward elections, Nepal teeters between reckoning and recovery. The protests, while confined to urban pockets far from Everest trails or Chitwan safaris, underscore a democracy in flux—vibrant yet volatile.

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For now, the mountains stand sentinel, whispering of adventures untaken. Will tranquility return in time to salvage the season? Joshi remains optimistic: “We’ve bounced back before—from earthquakes, pandemics. Nepal endures.”

But with stability hanging by a thread, the world watches, passports in hand.