Kathmandu: Nepal’s tourism sector is estimated to lose over $330 mln because of the government-enforced lock-down enforced within the wake the COVID-19 epidemic, as per the Ministry of Culture, Tourism & Civil Airline.
“The loss is awaited to cross 40 billion Nepali Rupees ($332 mln) till Jul 21, the extended deadline of lock-down,” Xinhua press agency quoted the Ministry as informing in a record on Fri..
A taskforce formed by this Nepal Tourism Board & the Civil Airline Authority of Nepal has estimated the loss of $83 mln every mo during this lock-down within the hospitality industry like restaurants, travels & airline.
Though the govt on Jun 10 relaxed lock-down, allowing majority of the economic operations to operate, the tourism industry, particularly restaurants & airlines areas haven’t being permitted to re-open.
Nepal’s cabinet also ruled to continue suspension of national & Intl. airplanes until Jul 21.
As the tourism industry faces massive losses, a delegation of Nepali tourism entrepreneurs on Fri. submitted a memorandum to Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai insisting that the industry must re-open too.
An announcement released by this Ministry on Fri. stated that the tourism entrepreneurs inquired the Nepali govt to permit the airlines to run the planned national & Intl. airplanes on condition that specific health procedures are complied.
Presently, the govt was allowing just chartered airplanes for humanitarian purposes & taking supply of medical goods.
The tourism entrepreneurs also insisted that the Nepali govt must permit functioning tourist vehicles, delete garbage from that mountains & carry out infra-structure development (devt) in tourism destinations within the mountain areas where there is not thick arrangement.
Binayak Shah, 1st vice-president of the Restaurant Association of Nepall, informed Xinhua on Fri. that they inquired the govt to re-open the restaurants & aviation areas as they’re struggling to pay employees amidst continued closure.