KATHMANDU, Dec 17: Tourism entrepreneurs of Pokhara and Bhairahawa have urged the government to immediately operate international flights from Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA) and Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA).

During a program organized in Bhairahawa on Saturday as part of the 'Jaaun Hai Pokhara' campaign, jointly run by the Hotel Association Pokhara and Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) targeting cities in western Nepal, speakers highlighted the challenge posed by the lack of international flights even when the airports are operational.

Laxman Subedi, president of Hotel Association Pokhara, stated that international flights could not be made from the airport built with huge investment and said that the government should prepare an environment for international flights as soon as possible.

Pom Narayan Shrestha, chairman of the Pokhara Tourism Council, said that the government was under pressure for international flights from Pokhara's new airport and said that they would be forced to protest if their demands were not met. He said that the Council has solidarity for the operation of international flights from the airport.

President of Siddhartha Hotel Association, Chandra Prakash Shrestha said that it is unfortunate that GBIA has not started operating properly even 18 months after its inauguration. He mentioned ongoing pressure efforts to ensure regular international flights from the airport.

Kundan Mishra, a senior officer of NTB, mentioned about the formation, structure, objectives, and activities of the NTB. In the program, the president of Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) Gandaki, Rachana Pant, journalists Madhav Dhungana and Naresh KC, executive officer of Tourism Development Council Lumbini, Ramu Joshi, and others emphasized the tourism partnership between Pokhara and Lumbini.

As part of the campaign, Hotel Association Pokhara announced various tourist packages under the Gandaki Province Ghumgham initiative. These packages, which include Pokhara sightseeing, educational tours, Pokhara-Muktinath tours, and trekking packages, are priced between Rs 3,000 and Rs 26,000, covering hotel stays, meals, and sightseeing activities.

“According to the belief that internal tourism is the basis of sustainable tourism, Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj, Dhangadhi, and Mahendranagar were also included in the campaign conducted two decades ago,” said Deepak Shrestha, the vice president of the Hotel Association Pokhara.

Stating that the purpose of the campaign is to encourage tourism between the western region and Pokhara Rajendra Dhakal, the general secretary of the Hotel Association of Pokhara, said that this campaign will play an important role in revitalizing tourism, which has been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The program also highlighted the significant employment opportunities, with 40,000 job positions in 1,200 hotels in Pokhara and 15,000 people employed in the tourism sector.

 
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