Tourism entrepreneurs in Pokhara seek vaccines against COVID

Tourism entrepreneurs of Pokhara have stated they will not be able to resume their businesses unless the business persons and workers involved in the sector have been provided with the COVID-19 vaccine. The Pokhara Tourism Council, on Thursday, said that the coronavirus had affected them massively and until there is a guarantee of vaccines for those involved in the sector they are not in a position to resume their businesses.

Gopi Bhattarai, Chairperson of the council, stated that people involved in the tourism sector need to be considered as frontline workers and provided with the vaccines as early as possible. He added that businesses had not reopened fully at present and even if the government allowed them to do they would not be able to until they receive the vaccines.

He further mentioned that when there are enquiries from foreign tourists for bookings the first question they ask is whether all the workers have been vaccinated against the coronavirus, hence until workers are vaccinated it will be difficult to restart their businesses in a full-fledged manner.

Members of the council during the meet also mentioned that the policies and programmes related to tourism that have been announced by the federal, provincial and local governments in their respective budgets need to be implemented in an effective manner.