Tourists unwilling to leave Bandipur in fear of surging coronavirus infection across world

DAMAULI: Foreign tourists visiting the historical town of Bandipur do not want to go back to their country, according to former chairman of Bandipur Tourism Development Committee, Vaish Gurung.

As many as 12 tourists from UK, Morocco, Cambodia, China and Russia, have been living in Tanahun district for long time before coronavirus infection became pandemic while two French nationals started living in the town two months ago, Gurung said, and added that they did not want to leave the country.

The french tourists were placed in a quarantine at Bandipur Hospital before they were allowed to live in a hotel. Those tourists have not shown any symptoms of COVID-19.

Bandipur Rural Municipality chair Purna Singh Thapa said the Nepal Tourism Board in coordination with the rural municipality had arranged to send the tourists to Kathmandu. However, they did not go to Kathmandu and showed no interest in leaving the country citing that Nepal was safer than their country.