Kathmandu, August 11
Nepal Tourism Board says it has set a target of welcoming 206,000 foreign tourists to Nepal in the ongoing fiscal year 2020/21 that ends at mid-July 2021.
However, the country is unlikely to record any tourist arrival in the first two months of the fiscal year due to the Covid-19 crisis. Whereas the first month is approaching its end, the second month is also unlikely to see any foreign tourists as the suspension on domestic and international flights is certain to get extended with the rising Covid-19 cases.
In the remaining 10 months, over 200,000 tourists could visit, says a member of the NTB, Deepak Mahat. The board has recently finalised its policy and programme that mentions the target.
Meanwhile, the board’s annual budget has been halved citing a significant loss in the revenue.
The government had announced the ambitious Visit Nepal Year 2020 with a target of attracting at least two million tourists in a year. However, it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 crisis.
