KATHMANDU: Various organizations in tourism sector have demanded that the government brings a master plan with special policies for the upliftment of tourism sector marred by ongoing COVID-19.

A delegation comprising 14 tourism-related organizations, including the Hotel Association of Nepal, Nepal Mountaineering Association, Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal and Nepal Association of Tours and Travel Agents (NATTA), submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba putting forth their demands on Sunday.

They also asked the government to announce programs for the resumption and upliftment of infection-hit tourism in the economic white paper. The government should create a mechanism for the implementation and monitoring of tourism provisions incorporated in the budget for the current fiscal year, 2021/22.

Receiving the memo, PM Deuba assured them that he was positive to the demands of tourism entrepreneurs and pledged to make a strategy after consulting with the business community after the government is full-fledged, said NATTA President Achyut Guragain.

Other demands include a full waiver of demand charges for five years and a 50 percent waive in electricity tariffs for hotel entrepreneurs. There should be a provision in place for the government to deposit the amounts under the social security fund for workers and employees in tourism sector for at least two years.

COVID-19 vaccines should be available within 30 days to the workers in tourism sectors who are at the forefront against the infection and there should be an arrangement for vaccinated foreign tourists not to mandatorily stay at quarantine facility upon their arrival in Nepal and for PCR tests at Tribhuvan International Airport.

There should be an arrangement for on-arrival visa for foreign tourists and training and monitoring to effectively implement the health protocols against the virus.