KATHMANDU: The novel coronavirus pandemic has badly affected the tourism sector – Nepal’s one of the major revenue sources.

Air service and hotel industries are among the most-affected amid the lockdown imposed to combat the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) – an umbrella organization of hotel entrepreneurs in the country — has projected that income of hotel industry might decrease by 90 per cent in 2020.

The Association has urged the government to adopt special policy measures to prevent hotel and hospitality industry from sliding into a worse condition.

A statement issued by HAN has urged the government to swiftly place a policy measure to protect hotel industry in this adverse situation.

HAN has also asked the government to formulate necessary policy keeping into consideration the management of human resources, bank loan, house rent and power tariff until revitalization of the industry.

According to HAN sources, the gross income of the hotel industry might go less than 10 per cent in 2020 as compared to the previous year.