INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
KATHMANDU, MARCH 10In a bid to revive the COVID-battered tourism sector, the government has removed the mandatory
provision of RT-PCR report for fully-vaccinated international tourists.
Four held for issuing fake PCR report
50 per cent Madhes Pradesh population fully vaccinated against coronavirus
As per the new 'Travel Advisory' notice issued by the
Department of Immigration, today, fully-vaccinated international tourists have to present either COV- ID-19 negative report obtained within
72 hours from the first port of embarkation or vaccination certificate to be granted entry into the country.
Similarly, the
provision of hotel quarantine has also been terminated.Director General of DoI Narayan Prasad Bhattarai told The Himalayan Times that the
department had relaxed travel restrictions in view of increased vaccination rate and the fact that the dominant Omicron variant of
coronavirus was not causing severe health complications as per the direction of the COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre."We have eased
restrictions to accelerate the return to normalcy as vaccination rates have gone up, while cases of COVID infection are steadily
declining.As per the new travel advisory, fully-vaccinated international tourists now have the option of presenting a COVID-19 negative
report or vaccination certificate," said Bhattarai.He, however, informed that all tourists must comply with other health safety protocols
such as wearing mask in public places and maintaining social distance.Earlier, all travellers to Nepal - including those fully-vaccinated -
had to present a negative PCR report obtained within 72 hours of departure from the first port of embarkation and a printed copy of
International Traveller Online Arrival Form obtained after online registration in the COV- ID-19 Crisis Management Centre website.Nepali
tourism entrepreneurs have welcomed the new travel advisory stating that it will help in the recovery of the COVID-battered tourism
sector.Senior Vice-president of Hotel Association Nepal Binayak Shah said relaxation of travel restrictions scrapping the mandatory PCR
report for fully-vaccinated tourists would give a positive message to the world - Nepal is ready to welcome tourists.According to Shah, the
government should simultaneously focus on promotional events and policy reforms to revive the tourism sector
He also urged the authorities to initiate diplomatic channels to remove Nepal from the 'red list'."Nepal is still in the 'red list' of
several countries, including the US, Australia and European Union despite the rising vaccination rate here."According to former president of
Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal Nava Raj Dahal, the government should have amended the travel protocol earlier to salvage the spring
season."Nevertheless, we expect tourist numbers to steadily rise," he said.Private sector tourism stakeholders have taken numerous
initiatives to lure international visitors
However, the stringent criteria that was in place earlier had discouraged travellers.A version of this article appears in the print on March
11, 2022, of The Himalayan Times
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com