Province 1 tourism entrepreneurs on observation trip in eastern Terai

Proactive tourism entrepreneurs of Province No 1 have started tourism observation trips in eastern Terai. On Monday, they visit parts of Morang and Jhapa.

''We have been to various travelling hangouts in eastern Terai to have a fresh observation in the pandemic-battered travelling scene,'' informed Basudev Baral, also the deputy coordinator of Nepal Tourism Board-appointed Internal Tourism Revival Committee.

Baral has said they have accessed fresh situations in contemporary tourism scenes in Morang and Jhapa. Other entrepreneurs included coordinator of Internal Tourism Revival Committee (ITR) Chair Bhabish Shrestha, ITR member Jiwan Parajuli, Chair of Hotel and Tourism Entrepreneurs Association Sunsari Tej Bahadur Puri, tourism entrepreneur Alina Magar, among others.

''We even went to Kechanakawal, the lowest point of Nepal which is situated at 58 metres above the sea level,'' shared Alina Magar, ''We, the tourism entrepreneurs of Province 1 are lucky to have both the lowest point of Nepal to the highest point of the world, Mt. Everest.''

Tej Bahadur Puri said tourism entrepreneurs they have met shared mixed emotions. He said tourism entrepreneurs are having a hard time paying their banking installments owing to slowed business and are also optimistic about some sort of governmental help.

ITR member and also the chair of Hotel Entrepreneurs Association of Itahari, Jiwan Parajuli said the declared internal tourism vacation allowance of governmental employees can boost internal tourism to an extent. ''If all government employees utilized their vacation allowance and invest in their domestic travelling, we are ready to facilitate them.''

Parajuli said their team is readying weekly tour package from cities as Itahari, Dharan, Biratnagar, and Jhapa.

''Still, we are not that much excited,'' said Parajuli. He added, ''It is because the fears of another COVID-19 outbreak is not far from over as Delta variant is said to have making rounds and not all people are vaccinated.''