July 17: Tourism entrepreneurs have warned to start protest if the government does not resume domestic flight operations from August 1. Organising a joint press conference on Thursday, 35 tourism sector related organisations including Airlines Operators’ Association  of Nepal (AAON), Hotel Association Nepal (HAN), Nepal Association of Travel and Tour Operators (NATTO), Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN), said that the halt in flights has resulted in zero business for tourism enterprises for the last four months and that the government needs to reopen the domestic airspace ensuring proper health safety measures. Likewise, they also demanded resumption of international flights operation and opening of border checkpoints from August 15.

Tourism entrepreneurs said that that air connectivity is directly linked with overall tourism activities and Nepalis are compelled to pay high air fares for international flights in the absence of regular flights.

According to them, liabilities of the entrepreneurs have crossed negative levels putting the one million employment and investment of billions of rupees is in jeopardy. Nepal has been hit by Covid-19 pandemic while the tourism sector, in particular, is bearing an unprecedented loss due to closure of hotels, resorts, homestays, air, and public and tourist transport.

Speaking on the occasion, AAON President Captain Rameshore Thapa asked that the government needs to reopen the airspace by following the steps taken by other countries.

Binayak Shah, senior vice president of HAN said that the government has not paid attention to attempts made by entrepreneurs to reopen businesses and waiting for the Covid-19 pandemic to end has crippled the tourism sector badly.

NATTA President Achyut Guragain warned that there is no alternative left for entrepreneurs other than to start phase-wise protests if the government declined to address their demands.