Protocol for tourist to come Nepal

October 29, 2020
Nepal Ministry of culture, tourism, and civil aviation have issued guidelines for foreign tourists to come to Nepal for trekking tours and mountaineering. The following protocols is for up to another notification.  

• Tourists must secure an entry visa in their own country. If the country does not have any Nepali visa consular of the embassy, trek/travel agency Nepal have to issue permission letter in behalf of a tourist group from Nepal tourism board or from the department of tourism to get it on arrival.
• Travellers most carry with themselves a PCR test report done not more than 72 hours ago to show the negative COVID report in immigration to enter Nepal.
• Along with the report, the traveller must have a confirmation document of 7 days hotel booking to stay in quarantine.      
• A copy of KOVID insurance of minimum 5000 (Five thousand US Dollar)
• PCR test again after 5 days they arrived in Nepal. Cost of PCR test has to pay tourist self.
• If their second PCR report found positive, they have to stay at hotel quarantine until their report is negative
• Guide or any staffs assisting tourists have to ensure at least 1 hundred thousand rupees. Insurance-related only KOVID.

It shows that every tourist has to come to Nepal through any registered travel agent of Nepal during COVID pandemic until the next rules announce by the Nepal government.  

Unlimited number of flights to arrive from 1^st October
Nepal civil aviation authorized unlimited flight to arrive from 1^st of October. There were limited flights before the date. From September,1 government only allowed 1600 passengers to land in only one international airport Kathmandu Nepal to control overcrowding for physical separation in arrival and departure terminal. There is still no any words either flights from India also be allowed from 1 October.  

Tourist view on a new protocol

Most of the tourist who wants to come to Nepal does not feel comfortable with the new health protocol of Nepal. Stay in quarantine for a week time does not mean coming to Nepal this time. Tourist who already been waiting to come to Nepal for trekking, touring or for mountaineering was expected to get easy and comfortable protocol from Nepal government for the autumn season. Nepal tourism disturbs from the spring season of 2020 and was expected to resume from autumn. Months of spring and autumn are good tourist season in Nepal.

View from tourism entrepreneurs about protocol

Mostly damaged tourist sector of Nepal keeps asking with the government to resume tourism activities by following safety measure. The new protocol issued by the government on 29 October is not matching with tourism entrepreneurs' plan as they wanted to reduce hotel quarantine time and make an easy way to take visa on arrival for all kind of tourist. This is unfortunate decision-making by government and sacrificing better revenue from the tourism sector. Entire tourism entrepreneurs having a hard time were expecting comfortable protocol to get some percentage of tourist from the month of November as the government decided tourist allow coming to Nepal from 17 November.

The situation looks like, only the expected arrival of tourist is from 2021. The main season is from the month of March to go mountain for trekking and mountaineering. Touring in Nepal is even suitable in January of February month.