KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 20
Considering the declining number of COVID cases in the country, five senior tourism entrepreneurs representing the tour operators have issued a five-point appeal to the government to be adhered to in the coming days.
The appeal was presented to the secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation as well as the COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre (CCMC) Secretariat for implementation in concerned agencies.
The tour operators have urged the government to lift the provision of presenting documentation for all passengers. They have urged that no documentation be required for fully vaccinated passengers during arrival and exit.
As for the passengers who are not fully vaccinated, they should be required to take a PCR test within 72 hours of arrival, as per the appeal.
Thirdly, they have urged that the PCR test not be made mandatory for passengers who had contracted the coronavirus between two weeks and 90 days prior to arrival.
In the case of passengers leaving the country, the tour operators have urged the concerned authorities to seek documents only based on the destination, policies put in place by transit countries and the respective airline companies.
Lastly, they have urged the CCMC to reconsider the mandatory provision of filling out an online form for anyone wanting to travel to and from Nepal.
The appeal has been jointly signed by Bijay Amatya, managing director of Kora Tours; Deenam Lamichhane, general manager of Sita World Travels (Nepal); Raj Gyawali, president of Socialtours; Binod Adhikari, president of Aarya Village Tours and Suman Pandey, president of Explore Himalaya Travels and Adventures.
A version of this article appears in the print on February 21, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
