Tourist arrivals are increasing in Nepal with the lifting of the five-day curfew, an immigration official told Xinhua in Kathmandu on Tuesday.

"Twenty flights arrived with about 1,000 tourists from India and other foreign countries on Monday and Tuesday compare with few tourists came during the curfew days," said Ganesh Ojha, official of the Immigration Department.

The number of tourists coming into the country stood at 22,331 in August, up from 21,572 the same period of last year, Ojha said.

A semblance of normalcy has returned to Nepal after a few days of unrest because of the killing of 12 Nepalese workers in Iraq and all airlines, both international and domestic, have announced resumption of their flights as per their normal schedule.

Qatar Airways is ready to resume its operations from Wednesday. Pakistan International Airlines will resume its flights from Sept.12, and India's private Air Sahara from Sept. 16. All the offices of these airlines in Kathmandu were vandalized by violent demonstrators last Wednesday in Kathmandu after 12 Nepalese workers were killed by a militant group in Iraq.

The government has taken all precautions to protect hotels and other commercial establishments, and given special instructions to all security agencies to accord high priority to safety and security of tourists, he added.

(Xinhua New Agency September 7, 2004)