Tourism associations' joint suggestion letter to PM Deuba

Several tourism associations have appealed to the Prime minister in a joint suggestion letter to facilitate a favorable environment for foreign tourists to visit Nepal in the coming days so that the tourism sector, which was harshly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, could prosper again.

Here is how the letter reads:

"Covid-19 has been spreading globally for more than two years, and its various variants have badly affected the tourism business/industry. It is a well-known fact that some businessmen who did not leave the industry during this period had to pursue some other business and the livelihood of the dependent workers and professionals in this industry was seriously affected. In addition, Covid-19's impact on this business has had a negative impact on the country's revenue collection and development goals. In this difficult situation, we humbly request the Honorable Prime Minister to immediately facilitate the movement of foreign tourists and create an environment to increase the number of foreign tourists in order to develop the tourism industry business, taking into account the following points:

1. Statistics show that coronavirus infections have been declining worldwide for some time now, with national and international health stakeholders predicting that the effects of Covid-19 will diminish in the coming days.
2. In case of Nepal as well, the Government's top priority is vaccination, and more than 56% of the target population has been vaccinated with both doses. Additional booster dose vaccination program is underway and children are also being vaccinated. It seems that an atmosphere of expectation has been created.
3. Neighboring countries including India and many others have abolished the requirement of negative test results in case of fully vaccinated passengers for air travel. In order to better facilitate and attract tourists, there is a need to immediately remove the cumbersome provision of filling up forms & compulsory PCR tests for fully vaccinated people and simplify the movement of tourists.
4. Tourism Entrepreneurs and all stakeholders will be committed to fully comply with the provisions of the health standards set by the World Health Organization, Ministry of Health and Population, and Government of Nepal during the stay of foreign tourists in Nepal.

Therefore, it is believed that necessary steps will be taken by the Honorable Prime Minister for protection and revival of tourism business/industry, which has been severely affected by this global pandemic."