The Nepalese government has decided to re-open some of its heritage sites after the country was hit by a series of earthquakes in April, in an effort to attract foreign tourists, The Times of India reported.
Kathmandu and the neighbouring districts of Bhaktapur and Lalitpur have several ancient Hindu and Buddhist monuments. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared these areas as World Heritage Sites, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Six out of these seven heritage sites that had been closed down after the earthquakes hit, were reopened on Monday, said Tourism Minister Kripasur Sherpa.
The earthquake that measured 7.8 on the Richter scale struck Nepal in April, killing more than 8,700 people and flattening houses and monuments in the valley, according to NDTV.
Nepal is significantly dependent on revenue from tourism with over 800,000 foreign tourists visiting the country each year. The government has shown concern that the fear of earthquakes will prevent tourists from visiting Nepal, urging foreign visitors to visit the Himalayan country.
"Nepal is safe, don't worry... this is our clear message for today," the head of the Department of Archaeology Bhesh Narayan Dahal.
"It (reopening) starts from today so the coming tourist season; from September to November, will be the right time to come. If people feel Nepal is safe, then they will come," he added.
However, in a statement last week, UNESCO raised safety concerns over the re-opening of the heritage sites stating that it has requested the tourism and archaeology departments "to carefully plan the reopening process, prioritizing safety and security."
