Kathmandu, Dec. 8 -- The high cost of aviation fuel at Kathmandu airport is affecting Nepal's tourism industry, a government committee has reported.

An eight-member panel headed by former government secretary Suresh Man Shrestha said in a report that the steep cost of fuel was keeping international carriers away, and urged the government to cut prices to put them on par with the global market to boost market confidence.

The government had formed the committee in the run-up to the Visit Nepal 2020 tourism campaign to study a number of issues, including uniformity in domestic airfares for foreigners and Nepali travellers, half-priced air tickets for travellers above 70 years of age, possible incentive packages for international airlines, ...