By Ramesh Giri, Bhaktapur, Nov 13: The tourist sites in Bhaktapur Municipality in Bhaktapur district were deserted for nearly two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.    

As the COVID-19 pandemic is winding down and due to vaccination drive, ease in the international travel restrictions among others, more and more people are moving. Travel and tourism is gradually reviving.    

Bhaktapur Municipality used to welcome around 3,000 foreign tourists on a daily basis prior to COVID-19.    

During the COVID-19, the tourist sites here did not see a single footfall of foreign tourists. Lately, 60-90 foreign tourists visit Bhaktapur, according to Bhaktapur Municipality's chief of the information centre, Gautam Lasiba.    

Health safety protocols have been put in place against COVID-19 for safe tourism. The Municipality had collected around Rs 260 million as revenue from tourists in 2019/20 BS, said Lasiba, adding that only Rs 2.9 million was collected in the last fiscal year 2020/21.    

In August, 228 tourists visited Bhaktapur, 380 in September, 964 in October and 1,923 as of November 12 this year.    
The local government has been stepping up reconstruction of the quake-damaged historical monuments, the tourist attractions in the medieval town.