Various tourism entrepreneurs have urged the government to bring a master plan to rejuvenate the tourism sector currently reeling under the ongoing COVID-19.
A delegation including several tourism-related organizations submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba putting forth their demands on Sunday.
They also demanded the government to announce programs for the resumption and to lift pandemic-hit tourism in the economic white paper. They told the Prime Minister that the government should create a mechanism for the implementation and monitoring of tourism provisions incorporated in the budget for the current fiscal year, 2021/22.
Receiving the memo, PM Deuba assured the delegation members that he was positive to the demands and pledged to make a strategy after consulting with the business community once the government gets its full shape.
Entrepreneurs also sought a full waiver of demand charges for five years and a 50 percent waive in electricity tariffs for hotel entrepreneurs. It may be recalled that there should be a provision in place for the government to deposit the amounts under the social security fund for workers and employees in the tourism sector for at least two years.
They also asked the government to provide COVID-19 vaccines within 30 days to the workers in tourism sectors who are at the frontline against the infection and there should be an arrangement for vaccinated foreign tourists not to mandatorily stay at quarantine facility upon their arrival in Nepal and for PCR tests at Tribhuvan International Airport.
They also drew the attention of the government to manage the on-arrival visa for foreign tourists and training and monitoring to effectively implement the health protocols against the virus.
