By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, July 6: The Department of Tourism (DoT) has listed a total of 110 hotels available for quarantining tourists upon their arrival in Nepal.
In a letter to the COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre (CCMC), the department has presented a list of 27 star hotels and 83 tourist standard hotels of the Kathmandu Valley that are available for quarantine purposes.
Among the hotels listed are Hyatt Regency, The Soaltee Kathmandu, Himalaya Hotel, Airport Hotel, Gokarna Forest Resort, Hotel Shankar, Kathmandu Marriott and Radisson.
According to the DoT, the hotels have been divided into budget quarantine and standard quarantine facilities. The budget quarantine facilities are only allowed to charge a maximum of Rs. 1,500 per person per day including taxes and must provide three meals and full accommodation to the quarantined individuals in that amount.
Standard quarantine hotels can charge the guests according to their internal cost policy. They must, however, provide the details of their rates to the CCMC through the DoT.
Arriving tourists are expected to book and bear the costs of the hotels on their own.
Having been listed as quarantine centres, all the 110 hotels must now maintain a separate gate and compound for the quarantined guests. They must provide sanitizers, toiletries and hygiene products and ensure that each room has a television, wifi, attached toilet, proper bathing space and drinking water. They must also make sure that their rooms are well ventilated.
While housing quarantined tourists, these hotels must prevent the gathering of crowds and must mandatorily close their gyms and sauna, must not provide buffet service and are not allowed to hold indoor and outdoor gaming activities. They are also required to safely transport their guests from the airport to their compound.
The DoT has also asked the hotels to regularly monitor the health of their guests and inform the Ministry of Health and Population if they require medical attention.