KATHMANDU: Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has discussed with World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative to Nepal to address the health concerns in an effort to revive the country’s tourism sector, adversely affected due to COVID-19.

During the meeting held between the executive chief of NTB Dr Dhananjaya Regmi and WHO Representative to Nepal, Dr Rajesh Pandav, on Tuesday, a discussion was held on various issues including the impact of COVID-19 in Nepal’s tourism, vaccine, a recent situation of tourism, and support of WHO, according to the NTB.

On the occasion, Dr Pandav said that it was necessary to run tourism activities by adopting health safety protocols, adding it is a matter of happiness that Nepal is now open for tourists.

He expressed commitment to the WHO’s continued support for Nepal’s health safety. “We are ready to support Nepal But it is necessary to run tourism activities only after adopting health safety protocols as the risk of COVID-19 continues to exist.”

Issuing a press release, NTB said that WHO Representative to Nepal, Dr Pandav, urged to make arrangement of emergency antigen test at the areas with high tourism activities and to give continuity to programs related to public awareness, adding there would be WHO’s support to Nepal in such activities.

Similarly, NTB’s executive chief Dr Regmi said that arrangement of a full-dose vaccine programme against COVID-19 has already been made at most of the tourism areas of Nepal and there is no problem for tourists visiting Nepal as the vaccination programme is underway gradually in the remaining areas.

Sharing that foreign tourists could visit Nepal by following the latest criteria brought by the government, he said that the government and NTB are always ready to facilitate for the arrival of tourists.