Health safety standards for the operation of tourism services announced

Kathmandu, January 14

The HHK Protocol Manual on Health Safety Standards has been made public for the operation of the service to make the post-pandemic tourism services health, hygiene, and quality.

The Tourism Recovery Task Force Nepal (TRTF Nepal), in collaboration with the GIZ and the GATE Foundation, has developed safety standards for the operation of tourism services.

Dr. Stephen Rosek, Chief of the Development Assistance Department of the German Embassy in Nepal, and Deepak Raj Joshi, Coordinator of the Task Force and former Chief Executive Officer of the Nepal Tourism Board, unveiled the training manual of the security protocol at a program organized by the organization.

The project aims to create safety standards for tourism and hospitality service business operators based on approved standards for service and business-related services for tourism-related service providers implemented by the Government of Nepal after COVID-19. Training materials and guidance on health and hygiene safety protocols have been prepared with the aim of developing trainers (local champions) in 11 selected municipalities of Far West, Karnali and Lumbini.

On occasion, Dr. Stephen Rosek said that COVID-19 was not only a global health crisis but also an economic crisis and the tourism sector was most affected by it, adding that health and hygiene safety measures would play an effective role for the rehabilitation of the sector.

He expressed the commitment that the German aid organization GIZ was conducting various assistance programs related to Nepal's economic development and German assistance in the development of tourism. Dr Rasek expressed confidence that the protocol would help in enhancing the quality and standard of services in the tourism and hospitality sectors in the western part of Nepal.

Coordinator Joshi said that 85 percent of small and medium entrepreneurs in Nepal have pointed out the need for training, education and awareness programs in a survey conducted among Nepal's tourism entrepreneurs and stakeholders after the covid-19 pandemic affected Nepal's tourism sector. He said that the first phase of training on health and hygiene safety standards is being conducted on the basis of the same survey.

Khem Lakai, treasurer of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Nepal Chapter, said that the creation of trainers at the local level would create an opportunity to support and advocate for the changes needed at the local level.

Director of the directory, Anjana Khadka, informed about the expected results of the project while project coordinator Vivek Poudel said that trained entrepreneurs would provide additional training to 250 service providers in each municipality after the first phase of the program. Thus, a total of 2,750 service providers in western Nepal will be trained to implement the health and hygiene protocol effectively, she said.