Of all the sectors that have suffered badly owing to the prolonged lockdown and prohibitory orders, the tourism and hospitality businesses come to the top in terms of losses they have suffered. This hospitality industry came to a grinding halt in a country known around the world for attracting a plethora of visitors as one of the affordable tourist destinations. However, the fear of coronavirus spread compelled our authority to impose prolonged lockdown and prohibitory orders which has broken the spine of these sectors.

Almost all tourism businesses, hotels, restaurant entrepreneurs, entertainment businesses, tourist and passenger vehicle operators have taken a severe blow due to the outbreak of the virus and subsequent six-month-long lockdown. There are reports that many of the entrepreneurs have given up their profession for good while others are still struggling to find ways to keep their business alive even in this very testing time. Loss of income coupled with rising rent and utility bills has caused a lot of anguish among these entrepreneurs. Many employees engaged in these sectors either have quit their job or have been laid off by the owners and operators as they could not pay salaries to the staff following the complete shutdown of their business.

However, the beleaguered owners and entrepreneurs have now witnessed some light at the end of the tunnel. The government, after pondering over the inordinate plight of the tourism and hospitality sectors, has allowed these entrepreneurs to resume their businesses. The government's decision to let the hotels and tourism businesses open and passenger and tourism vehicles ply came into effect from Thursday, much to the delight of the badly hit entrepreneurs. The resumption of the business will certainly fill the tourism, hotel, transport entrepreneurs with newfound confidence. The decision would probably restore about 1.2 million workers and employees affected directly or indirectly by the prolonged lockdown and near-complete shutdown of the sectors that also witness around 300,000 losing their jobs in these sectors.

The resumption of tourism and hospitality as well as transport services has come just in time. In the country, the months of September, October and November are considered a peak tourist season. Likewise, movement of the people within the country increases during these months as many Nepalis celebrate their major festivals such as Dashain, Tihar, and Chhath. If there had not been lengthy lockdowns, the tourism, hotel, and transport operators would have made a lot of returns from their businesses during this time of the year. However, the new decision to allow them to operate their businesses is expected to boost their incomes as well as their morale. The decision, on the other hand, will also help stop the exodus of hundreds of entrepreneurs, employees, and workers engaged in the sector. In the meantime, the government must be generous enough to lend the tourism industry a helping hand so as to bail out many crisis-ridden entrepreneurs. Since the tourism and hospitality sectors are one of the top money-spinners in the country, these sectors are in urgent need of revival and the government would do well if it extends its much-needed help to get the sectors out of the present morass.