KATHMANDU, April 29: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Prem Bahadur Ale has said that there is a need to create an environment in Nepal for foreign nationals to pay the same airfares as Nepalis.
Receiving the Tourism Revival Procedure 2078 on Friday, Minister Ale said that Nepalis pay the same fare as the citizens of foreign countries when they visit foreign countries, and it was necessary to maintain the same fare for foreigners in Nepal as well. He said that during a meeting with Israeli Ambassador to Nepal Hanan Goder, Ambassador Goder complained that the airfare for foreign nationals is not the same as that for Nepalis.
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Minister Ale, in a meeting with the ambassador said that the problem could not be addressed immediately because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Minister Ale also instructed the domestic airlines to conduct their flights on time.
Similarly, he said that despite repeated calls to the Prime Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister for toilet management at the Tribhuvan International Airport, the concern has not been heard. He stated that foreign tourists coming to the airport have to cover their mouths when going to the toilet.
He said that due to the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Customs Department under the Ministry of Finance, every tourist has to stand in line at the airport for two hours and that withdrawing dollars from ATMs is cumbersome.
Minister Ale said that such activities have brought disrepute to the tourism ministry. He said that even nine months after the formation of the government, there has been no coordination between the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Home Affairs. He informed that preparations are being made to bring in foreign companies to manage the toilets and passenger accommodation.
