Pokhara. Pokhara, which has been sluggish for some time, is now witnessing an influx of domestic and foreign tourists.

Pokhara—Pokhara—Hotels, restaurants and other tourism activities are buoyant due to the long holidays during Dashain and Tihar, open mountains and favourable weather. This has encouraged the tourism entrepreneurs and sent a positive message to the tourism sector.

Pokhara is one of the major tourist destinations of Nepal due to the panoramic views of Annapurna mountain range, serene environment of Fewa Lake, paragliding, bungee jumping, jeep flyer and other adventurous sports. Besides this, Pokhara has also become a centre of tourist attraction as a gateway to Annapurna trekking and Muktinath. Pokhara’s tourism which was degraded in recent period due to agitation and adverse weather has now been revived due to improvement in weather and long vacations.

“The tourism sector of Pokhara, which has been affected by various problems, has now felt some relief. Laxman Subedi, president of Hotel Association Pokhara, said that the number of domestic as well as foreign tourists is satisfactory especially during the Tihar festival. “The hotel occupancy at Lakeside is 90 percent at present due to long vacation and favourable weather,” said Speaker, adding, “The influx of domestic and some foreign tourists from Annapurna trekking to Mustang from Pokhara to nearby tourism destinations has added to the excitement.” Subedi said that this has made a positive impact not only on Pokhara but also in Gandaki Province.

According to Subedi, around eight billion rupees have been invested in the tourism sector of Pokhara at present. Out of this, about Rs 600 billion has been invested in the hotel business and about 15,000 people are directly employed in this sector.

There are around 1,200 tourist-level hotels in operation in Pokhara, of which 700 are located in the lakeside and damside areas. The hotels in Pokhara have the capacity to accommodate around 40,000 guests in a night. Currently, there are one five-star, six four-star hotels and around 30 three, two, and one-star luxury hotels operating in Pokhara.

Domestic tourists are also enthusiastic about trekking. Pokhara is an important gateway for trekking. World-famous trekking routes like Annapurna Base Camp Trek, Mardi Himal Trek, Ghorepani-Pun Hill Trek start from Pokhara. These trekking routes attract thousands of trekkers every year, which has further diversified Pokhara’s tourism.

Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) Pokhara President Krishna Acharya said, “Pokhara is the gateway to trekking for Nepal. The numerous beautiful trekking routes in the Annapurna region have made this area an attractive destination for trekkers from all over the world. The arrival of domestic and foreign tourists is encouraging. He urged the government to increase its interest in the protection and promotion of these trekking routes to make Pokhara’s tourism sustainable and prosperous. “It is natural for Pokhara to see an increase in the number of tourists during this season, but we want to keep trekking tourism active throughout the year,” Acharya said, adding that TAAN has recently promoted Annapurna North as the Maurice Herzog Trail along with identifying new trekking routes, upgrading existing routes, developing necessary infrastructure for trekker safety and capacity building of guides.

According to Acharya, 1,000 to 1,200 foreign tourists and 4,045 Nepalis are trekking daily through five check posts at Chhomrong, Pothana, Birethanti of Kaski, Besisahar of Lamju and Ghasa of Myagdi.

President of Restaurant and Bar Association Nepal (REBAN) Pokhara, Bishwaraj Poudel said that after a long time, the arrival of tourists to Pokhara is encouraging. “The number of tourists is better during Tihar than Dashain,” he said. This has given more energy to us entrepreneurs,” he said.

Senior vice-president of Pokhara Tourism Council, Hari Bhujel, said that the government should have a long-term plan to attract tourists in all seasons. There is a need for special initiatives to introduce the beauty and diversity of Pokhara in the domestic and external markets.

“Pokhara is a natural, adventurous and cultural tourism destination,” he said, underscoring cooperation and coordination between the government and private sector to further elevate the tourism of Pokhara to a new height. He stressed the need for the state to keep tourism sector safe by adopting a sustainable tourism strategy as natural disasters, political instability and the pandemic have direct impact on the tourism sector. Bhujel pointed out the need of developing Pokhara as a hub of adventure tourism, identifying new tourist destinations and supporting in infrastructure development.

Attractions like cultural diversity and unique confluence of adventure, boating in Fewa lake, sunrise view from Sarangkot, visit to World Peace Stupa, observation of Davis Falls and Gupteshwor Cave and International Mountain Museum are always attracting tourists, said Bhujel.

The number of foreign tourists is expected to increase further in Pokhara with the operation of the new international airport. Restaurants, cafes and shops especially located on the banks of Fewa Lake are creating a lively atmosphere in the evening. Boating, cycling or hiking on the lake provide a sense of peace and happiness to the tourists. The Tal Barahi temple in the middle of the lake also holds cultural importance.