Nepal has witnessed an influx of the tourist with the beginning of autumn season suitable for climbing the mountains.
As many as 25 teams have set out on expeditions to attempt to climb mountains this season.
Mt Manaslu has witnessed a massive influx of climbers as 17 of the total expedition teams have targeted its summit.
Meanwhile, the tourism entrepreneurs and stakeholders concerned have been trying to find ways to revive the tourism sector that has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. They have stressed that government support is necessary for lifting the tourism sector.
The tourism entrepreneurs are optimistic about the future of the tourism sector and have expressed their views that the government should take initiative to remove Nepal from the "Red Zone" list that many countries have disclosed.
Likewise, the entrepreneurs have also demanded the government to scrap the quarantine provisions for the tourists who have received COVID vaccines and others having negative RT-PCR reports.
Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) Central President Achyut Sharma Guragain told NepalNews that the government should immediately work out a plan targeting the revival of the tourism sector since most of the tourism entrepreneurs have ruined their businesses owing to the pandemic. He further suggested facilitating "On Arrival Visa" to ease the entry of travellers and waiving off of the mandatory quarantine for the vaccinated travellers producing the negative RT-PCR report.
NATTA President Guragain opined that the government should implement a law defining Nepali nationals also as tourists citing that the tourism entrepreneurs have now understood the importance of domestic tourists as the country witnessed zero arrival of international tourists while the pandemic took a toll worldwide.
Although the government decided to send the government employees on a 10-day tour across the country in order to promote domestic tourism, the immediate implementation of the decision is said to have a positive impact. Further, President Guragain said that the government should bring the provision to the law that would allow Nepalis also to use vehicles with green number plates meant for tourists.
Earlier on March 6, the Ministry had written to the Covid-19 Crisis Management Centre to allow foreign tourists into the country after presenting negative reports of their PCR tests for the infection and manage on arrival visa for them. The provision had even been forwarded to be passed by the Cabinet.
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