April 15, 2020, Kathmandu
Tourism has helped a lot our nation to strengthen our country’s economy. This year, it might not be the same because of the pandemic. Nepal was ready for the grand tourism year 2020. As lockdown and travel ban has affected both domestic and international tourist visit, there is an estimation of substantial loss.
To assess the impact of the COVID crisis on the country’s tourism and other related sectors, Nepal Tourism Board has begun a survey.
The board’s Chief Executive Officer Dhananjaya Regmi says the survey will be conducted at an extensive scale. The main aim is to find out exact data about the impact of the crisis on the sector.
Currently, the board is unaware of how many companies are operational in the country’s tourism sector. The committee informs that the survey will cover eight industries in particular, namely: airlines, hotels, tourist vehicles, restaurants, rafting companies, trekking and mountaineering, travel and tourism and other activities related to tourism.
The board, after completion of the report, will provide the complete description to the government. They will also provide recommended measures to recover the loss faced due to the outbreak.
As the loss is being estimated, it seems like those new to travel agencies, hotels etc. are prone to face massive loss. Tourism entrepreneurs have determined that the sector would lose Rs 40 billion to the crisis. Not just that but the employees and businesses running in these sectors are also affected by the virus. Many have lost their jobs, and some activity has been stopped due to loss. The Hotel Association Nepal has warned that 1.1 million workers working in the field of tourism are at the risk of losing their job.
These are all the major concerning topics that NTB should take a report on and provide to the government. And the government should also act on this as soon as possible. Businesses are shutting down, and decreasing numbers of workers in this field can affect the tourist flow in the country after this crisis.