Nepal, March 24 -- Lawmakers have urged the government to remove the value-added tax (VAT) imposed on air tickets. During a meeting of the International Relations and Tourism Committee held at Singha Durbar on Monday, they expressed concerns that high airfare forces Nepali travelers to use foreign airlines when flying to Nepal.

Nepali Congress (NC) lawmaker Udaya Shamsher JB Rana stated that the high cost of flying to Nepal, despite the relatively low expenses within the country, negatively impacts tourism.

"If airfare to Nepal were cheaper, tourists could spend more after their arrival. But the situation is reversed-flying here is expensive, while expenses within the country are low. In countries like Thailand and the US, airfare is ch...