Nepal government planning to give priority to Indian tourists to revive tourism post COVID-19

Wooing Indian tourists is a high priority for the Gandaki provincial government of Nepal once the travel restrictions are lifted after the lockdown.

According to the latest statement given by Nepal's Tourist Minister Bikash Lamsal, the Nepal government is planning to give utmost preference to Indian tourists on their list as they form a major part of Nepal foreign tourist arrivals.
Reportedly, of the total tourists who visited Nepal’s Pokhara, the City of Lakes, in 2019, 40 per cent were from India. In the year 2018, Nepal’s foreign tourist count was 11.73 lakh, and the majority were from India.

Top tourist activities in Nepal include trekking, paragliding, boating, kayaking, etc. Lamsal said that although the government was unable to welcome tourists from abroad in 2019 due to the Coronavirus, they are trying to make the situation conducive to tourist foreign tourists in the upcoming years.
The minister also added that Nepal tourism is celebrating the year 2019-2022 as Tourism Year, and they are aiming for two million tourists. In addition, the year 2021 will be Tourism Infrastructure Improvement Year and 2022 International Tourism Year. Since the tourism sector has suffered in terms of revenue this year due to the pandemic, the country is trying to cover up the losses and trying to make better efforts for the next year.

Reportedly, Nepal has suffered a loss of 13 crore Nepal rupees per day owing to the present pandemic, which has suspended all tourist activities.