Minister Bhattarai predicts rise in foreign tourists in Nepal in 2022

Kathmandu - Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Kumar Bhattarai predicts that the number of foreign tourists arriving Nepal would grow significantly in 2022. Laying a foundation stone for the 'Forest Front' hotel to be built by the KTM Hospitality at Ratnagar Municipality-5 in Chitwan district today, Minister Bhattarai estimated," The tourism sector in the country has begun reviving towards the end of 2020. It will rise in 2022 and will begin to turnaround remarkably.

The government had prioritized promotion of local tourism, according to the Minister, as he viewed, that the travel culture was becoming popular among the middle and upper class families. He also assured that the health protocols were being strictly implemented in the tourism destinations and hotels among others to ensure COVID-19 does not spread.

A 34-room resort sprawling across over 12 kaththa is to be built with the estimated Rs 250 million. KTM Hospitality Chief Rameshwor Shah is going to construct the resort. On the occasion, Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Rameshwar Ray Yadav lamented that the labour market was ravaged by COVID-19 and spoke for the need to create jobs in the country for the youths who lost their jobs abroad due to COVID-19 pandemic.

He shared that the government was going to introduce programmes to engage such youths in the productive sector. He also called for ending the unfavourable situation where over 600 Nepalis abroad were returning home in a coffin for which, according to him, the government has prioritized job creations. On the occasion Ratnanagar Municipality Mayor Narayan Ban, NRNA's founding president Dr Upendra Mahato and Regional Hotel Association Chairperson Deepak Bhattarai had also delivered their remarks.