Nepalgunj. Tourism entrepreneurs have requested Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Khadak Raj Poudel to make efforts for Nepalgunj-Delhi direct flights.

Minister Poudel, who visited the Nepalgunj airport, said that it was imperative to connect Nepalgunj and New Delhi by air route to attract more tourists to Nepal.

Complaining that the tourism sector has been affected due to the closure of Nepalgunj-Pokhara flights, they urged the government to end the discrimination in air fare imposed on foreign tourists.

Minister Poudel said that the present government was active to promote tourism in the country. He pledged to make every possible effort to develop the tourism industry, the major source of foreign exchange earnings, through policy reforms.

On a different note, he said that the Nepal Tourism Board needs to be restructured as per the need of time.

NATTA Banke Chapter founder president Shree Ram Sigdel, chapter president Dilliraj Regmi and tourism entrepreneur Debananda Aryal apprised the minister about the possibilities and problems of tourism in western Nepal.