Tourism industry hit by continuous strike

Tourism entrepreneurs have said continuous strike in the country has made a great loss in the tourism industry and increased the possibility of Nepal being an unsafe destination.

At a programe organised by the Media International in the capital on Friday, speakers said that political leaders have violated the previous commitment of not launching strikes and demanded that the government and bandh enforcers make arrangements for tourists to reach their destinations during the bandh. Chairman of the Nepal Rafting Association, Nanikaji Thapa said that the bandh will cause a loss of Rs. 2.5 million in rafting sector each day.

Thapa added that they had to postpone a Rafting Festival to be organised at Trishuli river on Saturday due to the bandh and complained that it has hampered their industry.

Chairman of the Nepal National Tourism Entrepreneurs' Association, Chandra Rijal said that a situation of collapse of overall economic sector of the country has come due to the strikes.

According to a statistics of the World Tourism Organization (WTO), Nepal received 17 per cent foreign exchange from tourism sector.

On the occasion, Vice-Chairman of Thamel Tourism Development Council, Ram Sharan Thapaliya, and trekking entrepreneur Khum Subedi said that collective initiative should be taken to provide more facilities to tourists during this transitional period. nepalnews.com