JHAPA: Tourist areas in Province 1, are exuding dismal look these days. It has been over 15 days that religious and historic sites in the district such as Kichakbadha, Krishna Thumki, Arjundhara Jaleshwordham, Shibasatakshidham, Domukha, Jamunkhadhi, Bansbari, and Kalika wetland site have seen no arrival of internal and foreign tourists as the coronavirus ( COVID-19) poses a global health threat.

Hotel business being operated targeting these sites is highly likely to be stagnant amidst the global fear caused by the coronavirus which was emerged in Wuhan of China and has now reached 153 countries.

Earlier, the government in its bid to prevent the risk of COVID-19 outbreak had publicly called for not joining mass gatherings, not organizing a seminar or a conference and for avoiding non-essential movements as the coronavirus is transmitted by human to human.

According to Domukha Religious and Touristic Development Management Committee chair, Dhan Bahadur Lawati, with the government’s urge to cut gatherings, public exposure, and non-essential movements, tourist arrival at Domukha is nil. “The local tourism industry is likely to be collapsed.”

The committee office-bearers are now working together with local levels to raise public awareness on the prevention of deadly viral disease.

The Bansbari Community Forest area based in Mechinagar-11 is unusually calm as it has welcomed no tourist for two weeks, according to Bansbar Community Forest User’s Committee chair Takdir Prasain. People from Sikkim, Darjeeling, and Kalimpong of India and from several districts inside the country would visit the site.

No tourists are coming to Jamunkhadi wetland site which would see the arrival of over 500 tourists each day before the coronavirus pandemic, it is said.