The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) on January 9 held discussions with organizations and individuals concerned with the tourism sector due to the rise of the new variant Omicron of COVID-19. In the program, private sector organizations and tourism entrepreneurs have suggested making tourism viable by following the health standards.
They also urged the government to take such a decision saying that the country’s tourism sector collapsed in the past due to the sudden lockdown. They emphasized the need to vaccinate all to keep the tourism sector alive. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Dhananjay Regmi, CEO of NTB, said that the board conducted various programs in the past despite the contagion of COVID-19 and limited resources.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Achyut Guragain, President of NATTA, said that there is no alternative but to increase booster vaccines against COVID and make tourism viable by adhering to health standards. Other participants also suggested NTB change the market strategy to suit the current situation of travel during the global pandemic and the criteria should be formulated to invite tourists in such a way that there will be no problem post arrival in Nepal.
At the program, the Head of Departments of NTB apprised the private sector of the work done by their departments in the recent past. Similarly, the National Program Manager of Sustainable Tourism Project (STLRP) made a presentation on the project and tourism revival strategy work being done by NTB in coordination with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP Nepal).
The program was attended by Presidents of Tourism Associations and members of the Tourism Fraternity.