Kathmandu, October 5
Amid uncertainties about the future of the industry as the coronavirus infection is not under control here, Nepal’s tourism industry has begun to return to normality gradually.
As the government reopened inter-district bus services and domestic and international flights in mid-September, the number of people visiting tourism hubs such as Pokhara, Chitwan and Dhulikhel has increased, according to tourism entrepreneurs.
Nepal Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Dhananjaya Regmi says the activities of domestic tourists across the country after mid-September seem exciting. He says the board has been motivating entrepreneurs themselves to travel so as to inspire other people.
On the other hand, foreign tourists are also gradually coming to Nepal. The government has recently decided to provide on-arrival visas for mountaineers and trekkers under certain conditions.
Meanwhile, a Bahraini team led by a royal family member of the Middle Eastern kingdom summitted Lobuche peak (6,119 metres) last weekend. The team is still exploring the Everest region. It will soon climb Mount Manaslu (8,156 metres).
Similarly, entrepreneurs in Pokhara, the tourism capital of Nepal, have reopened paragliding, one of the most popular activities among domestic and foreign tourists there. Nepal Association of Rafting Agencies says its members have resumed rafting activities across Nepal from October 1.
Likewise, most of the hotels across Nepal have also reopened, informs the Hotel Association Nepal.
The Covid-19 fears and resultant lockdown and movement restrictions had brought the industry to a standstill in late March.
