NTB Facilitating Tourists amid Disruptions

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has announced that it is facilitating the movement and management of foreign tourists currently visiting Nepal, as travel disruptions have made it difficult for them to reach their destinations.

According to NTB Chief Executive Officer Deepak Raj Joshi, they have been coordinating with the Nepali Army and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to ensure smooth travel arrangements. Shuttle buses have been arranged in Kathmandu and Pokhara since Tuesday to help tourists commute between the airport and hotels.

“Trekkers are not facing any problems and are traveling without obstruction. The main difficulty is for those arriving in Kathmandu or planning to return home. To ease this, arrangements have been made for airport-to-hotel and hotel-to-airport transfers,” Joshi said. He added that when roads were blocked on Tuesday afternoon, tourists at the airport were provided with water and biscuits before being escorted safely to their hotels later that night in coordination with security agencies.

NTB said that nearly 35,000 tourists entered Nepal by air over the past 10 days, most of them embarking on treks. Many are currently in the Khumbu region, Annapurna region, Pokhara, and some in Kathmandu. With the monsoon ending, Nepal is approaching its peak tourist season, which usually attracts a large number of foreign visitors.

The board is also handling tourist inquiries and providing assistance during the ongoing disruptions. Joshi noted that both domestic and international travel and trekking operators have been seeking information, and NTB has assigned seven dedicated staff to provide 24-hour support. The board said tourists can access information and assistance through phone, toll-free numbers, and email, and that it coordinates with concerned authorities in case of emergencies. -- RSS