KATHMANDU: The vaccination drive launched in the country including Gandaki State against COVID-19 has brought cheers among the tourism entrepreneurs in Pokhara.

With it, they are hopeful that the vaccination drive would help revive domestic tourism adversely impacted by the deadly infection.

The Gandaki Province government has made arrangements to administer the vaccine to a total of 17,630 frontline health workers in the first phase from January 28 in 11 District Hospitals in the Province.

The arrival of tourists-domestic and foreign-here had dropped significantly since the spread of COVID-19. The bustling city of lakes had worn a deserted look in absence of tourists since the nation-wide lockdown ordered by the federal government on March 24 last year to contain the infection.

Amid this, a vaccine against Coronavirus infection has kindled rays of hope among the local tourism entrepreneurs. They have also some suggestions to offer to the concerned authorities and the provincial government to boost the influx of tourists in the city that lured millions of tourists annually in the past.

According to the Western Regional Hotel Association (WRHA), over Rs 400 billion have been invested in the tourism sector in Pokhara generating over 17,000 jobs.

Internal Tourism Revival Committee Coordinator Agni Kandel shared that the tourism entrepreneurs in Pokhara were suffering from a number of issues including economic and mental ones emanating since shutdown of their tourism business in the wake of breakout of COVID-19.

The vaccination drive has stimulated them for they are hopeful that it would breathe a new life into COVID-19 affected tourism sector. Kandel opined,” The Fund set up by the Gandaki Province Government to help save the enterprises and bring respite to the entrepreneurs province be implemented at the earliest.”

He was confident that the tourists could enjoy the excursions in and around Pokhara without having to worry about flu-like infection once they are vaccinated.

He viewed that government should provide vaccine to people on the priority basis and should provide for free of cost to the poor and needy. “The government could charge for the vaccine from the riches who want to purchase the vaccine but it should be provided to the people from impoverished community for free of cost.”

Similarly, Pokhara Tourism Council President Gopi Bhattarai lauded the government’s act of bringing in the vaccine so early and providing it to the frontline health workers at first.

According to him, the government should also prioritize targeted groups in the tourism sector as he argued that tourism was also a service sector. He pressed for tourist-friendly plans, programmes and environment to attract foreign tourists as the situation is slowly getting safer. “Those tourists vaccinated against COVID-19 should be provided VISA on-arrival. The PCR report for incoming tourists should be provided within 24 hours too.”

He rued hat seven-day quarantine provision put in place for the tourists arriving from foreign countries was not practical.

Many foreign tourists were cancelling their booking due to complex policies of the government, he claimed, calling for the earliest implementation of the Rs 50 billion of Fund and Rs 1 trillion Refinancing Fund to revive tourism in the country.

WRHA President Bikal Tulachan was all praises for the government for launching the vaccination dive. “It is a very positive act and the government should show eagerness to bring all the people under the ambit of immunization at the earliest,” Tulachan said.

He suggested that the workers in the hotels and restaurants should be prioritized for the vaccination since they are also at risk of COVID-19. “Once they are vaccinated, tourists could also feel safe in receiving service from them.” RSS