Tourism entrepreneurs's demands for international flights from Pokhara

POKHARA, Feb 11:Tourism entrepreneurs of Pokhara have demanded direct international flights from Pokhara.

In a program organized by the Pokhara Tourism Council in Pokhara on Wednesday to welcome the Minister of Industry, Tourism, Forestry and Environment of Gandaki Province, the tourism entrepreneurs demanded international air flights to promote tourism in Pokhara in a sustainable manner and for the economic development of the region.

Ganesh Bahadur Bhattarai, former chairman of the council said, Although Pokhara International Airport was built after about 47 years and complained that even after about a month and a half since its inauguration, not a single international flight could be operated from the airport.

Chief of Pokhara International Airport, Bikram Gautam, said that from February 23th, based on the equipment, night flights from Pokhara are also being prepared at night. He said that since the Pokhara International Airport is a good product for the international market, all the necessary technology and manpower are ready for it. For international air flights from Pokhara, Thai Airways, Fly Dubai, Jazeera Airways and other airlines companies like Buddha Air of Nepal have expressed interest and inquiries, said Chief Gautam. 

In the program, the Minister of Industry, Tourism, Forestry and Environment, Resham Bahadur Jugjali, said that international flights to Pokhara should now be initiated by the Prime Minister. He said that he is ready to go to the Prime Minister with the support of the people of the province to get international flights at the airport inaugurated by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. 

At the time of making the current budget, even though the province has made the tourism sector the first basis for prosperity, the budget allocation is only 1.68 percent, but despite the wishes of the tourism sector, tourism cannot be promoted because of the budget, Minister Jugjali said.