Tourism entrepreneurs in Pokhara delighted with scheduled announcement of chartered flight

POKHARA, May 22:The announcement that chartered flights from Pokhara to various locations in China will commence on June 23 has  tourism entrepreneurs in Pokhara cautiously optimistic.

Sudan Kirati, Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, revealed on Thursday at the 24th National Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA), that chartered flights to various Chinese cities will commence in June. 

The announcement is anticipated to make locals' ambition of starting international flights from Pokhara a reality.

Although the Pokhara Regional Internationl  Airport opened on January 1 of this year, no foreign flights have taken place since then.

"We are excited about the announcement to begin chartered flights," said Pokhara Tourism Council Chairman Pom Narayan Shrestha. This will signal the start of foreign flights. This should be done at any cost."

Similarly, Hari Ram Adhikari, Chairman of NATTA Gandaki Province, stated that this will be a good start for the tourism industry and will serve as a milestone for the development of the entire country's tourism sector. 

Pokhara is believed to get around 80% of all Chinese tourists visiting Nepal.