Stranded tourists urge for extension of visa

Pokhara: A number of tourists stuck in Nepal due to the outbreak of Coronavirus have urged the government of Nepal to extend their visa, citing reasons that the risk of Coronavirus still lurks while returning home.

Speaking during a press meet held in Pokhara today the tourists said that due to the sudden outbreak of the Covid-19 they could not get the time to go for trekking, expeditions around Pokhara and since the government has asked tourists to depart for their respective homes after international flights get operated from August 17, they have demanded that their visa be extended.

Most of the tourists including American and British nationals said Nepal was safe for them as all international transits and their home countries were still risk-prone to Covid-19 and not safe enough for them to return home at this juncture, so their visas are extended to allow them to stay back until the risk of the virus is over.

They said as many as 1500 foreign tourists are spread across Nepal these days and they are not willing to return to their home countries for fear of virus infection.

More than 400 tourists staying in the Pokhara area have vehemently asked the government to stay back by extending their visa during the virus crisis.