Tourism Versus Health: Nepal Government in Dilemma

Kathmandu, November 23

The two ministries are at odds over whether to tighten or facilitate tourist arrivals in Nepal.

The Ministry of Sanskrit Tourism and Civil Aviation has taken the proposal to open tourist visa to the Council of Ministers.

Minister Yogesh Bhattarai proposed to open tourist visa and issue an on-arrival visa at Tribhuvan International Airport. "Tourists should be allowed to come within 72 hours after showing a negative report on PCR," he said at the meeting.

The Prime Minister has assured to discuss opening tourist visa in the next meeting. One of the ministers said, "This proposal is right. The prime minister has said that we will study its implications and discuss it at the meeting."

At present, when you come to Nepal, you have to make sure to stay in the hotel quarantine for seven days. Joint Secretary Kamal Prasad Bhattarai said that the ministry had sent a proposal to reduce it to five days at the Covid-19 Crisis Management Center.

The ministry argues that the quarantine period should be shortened, with a focus on tourist arrivals and rapid economic recovery through them. "Business has been closed for a long time, so we have proposed to reduce the quarantine period to facilitate tourist arrivals," Bhattarai said.

On the same day that the Ministry of Tourism submitted a proposal to the Council of Ministers to facilitate tourist arrivals, the Ministry of Health and Population has recommended to tighten it.

The Ministry's Incident Command System has recommended that foreign nationals arriving by land and air be kept in quarantine for 14 days.

Rejecting all previous decisions, the CCMC has been recommended to keep the foreigners in quarantine for 14 days and arrange for tests if any symptoms are seen in the process. Dr. Jageshwar Gautam said.