Santosh Pokharel

The contributor for Republica.
news@myrepublica.com

Airline companies increase flights along Kathmandu-Pokhara route due to growing demand

Published On: September 23, 2023 08:25 PM NPT By: Santosh Pokharel

POKHARA, Sept 23: Airline companies of Nepal have started expanding flights to meet the increasing demand on the Kathmandu-Pokhara route.

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As footpaths shrink, Annapurna trek duration plummets from 28 to 5 days

Published On: September 10, 2023 08:30 PM NPT By: Santosh Pokharel

POKHARA, Sept 10: Renowned trekking entrepreneur, Tikaram Sapkota, once offered comprehensive 28-day packages for adventurous tourists embarking on the awe-inspiring Annapurna trek, but things have dramatically changed over the past 15 years.

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PRIA finally earning from int’l flights after eight months of operation

Published On: September 8, 2023 01:30 PM NPT By: Santosh Pokharel

POKHARA, Sep 8: The Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA) marked its eighth month of operations on September 1 since becoming officially operational on  January 1, 2023. Despite its international status, PRIA has been limited to domestic flights until now, with regular international flights yet to be confirmed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).

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Will 400,000 tourists arrive in Nepal in the next four months?

Published On: September 2, 2023 08:19 PM NPT By: Santosh Pokharel

POKHARA, Sept 2: The Government of Nepal has set an ambitious target of welcoming one million foreign tourists in the year 2023. However, as of the end of August, just over 600,000 foreign visitors have arrived in Nepal via air route.

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Safety in adventure tourism flourishes through adherence to regulations

Published On: August 13, 2023 05:00 PM NPT By: Santosh Pokharel

POKHARA, Aug 13:  As of April 1, the Nepal Tourism Board has introduced a mandatory guide requirement for foreign tourists embarking on treks within the country. This decision aims to enhance trekker safety by ensuring that travelers are accompanied by experienced guides provided by trekking companies.

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Tomatoes cost Rs 180 a kg in Pokhara

Published On: August 6, 2023 03:45 PM NPT By: Santosh Pokharel

POKHARA, Aug 6: In mid-June, farmers demonstrated by throwing tomatoes on the streets of Kathmandu stating that they did not get a fair price. At that time, farmers had thrown tomatoes on the streets in the capital mentioning that their tomatoes were not sold even at Rs 10 per kg. While in the capital,  tomatoes  were being thrown on the streets. In Pokhara at that time, the retail price of tomatoes was Rs 70 per kg.

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NTB prepares to bring budget of Rs 1.25 billion in upcoming FY

Published On: July 15, 2023 09:30 AM NPT By: Santosh Pokharel

POKHARA, July 15: The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) is preparing to bring a budget of around Rs 1.25 billion for the upcoming fiscal year.

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CAAN bans 'mountain flight' during monsoon

Published On: July 13, 2023 08:43 PM NPT By: Santosh Pokharel

POKHARA, July 13: The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the sole regulatory body of Nepal's aviation sector, has banned mountain flights conducted by helicopters for the entire monsoon season after frequent helicopter accidents.

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In Photos: Dragon Boat Race in Phewa Lake in Pokhara

Published On: June 23, 2023 06:01 PM NPT By: Santosh Pokharel

POKHARA, June 23: The 'Nepal-China Friendship Dragon Boat Race Festival' commenced on Friday at Phewa Lake in Pokhara, marking it to be the first such boat race in South Asia. Tourism entrepreneurs expect that this event will attract an increased number of Chinese tourists to Pokhara.

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Sichuan airlines arrives at PRIA with 84 passengers, departs empty

Published On: June 21, 2023 04:30 PM NPT By: Santosh Pokharel

POKHARA, June 21: After six months of official operation, a commercial aircraft from an international destination arrived at Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA) on Wednesday morning. The plane landed at the airport with passengers but departed empty to Kathmandu.

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Farmers fail to sell tomatoes for Rs 10 per kg in Kathmandu while consumers are forced to pay Rs 70 in Pokhara

Published On: June 20, 2023 08:23 PM NPT By: Santosh Pokharel

POKHARA, June 20: Farmers on Sunday dumped around 400,000 kilograms of tomatoes on the street adjacent to Kathmandu’s main vegetable market in Kalimati for not getting the expected price for their produce.

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Tourism entrepreneurs of Pokhara trade barbs with NTB officials

Published On: June 15, 2023 08:30 AM NPT By: Santosh Pokharel

POKHARA, June 15: Tourism entrepreneurs of Pokhara have lodged a formal complaint against the officials of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB)'s Pokhara office, accusing them of failing to fulfill their responsibilities in promoting tourism.

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Promotional initiatives underway to bring in one million foreign tourists

Published On: June 11, 2023 12:22 PM NPT By: Santosh Pokharel

POKHARA, June 11: Through the annual budget for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023/24, the government announced the goal of increasing the number of foreign tourists entering Nepal to one million in 2023. While stating that the year 2023-2032 will be celebrated as the 'Tourism Decade', Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat  announced the target of bringing 1 million foreign tourists in 2023.

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Pokhara records highest temperature after 1999

Published On: June 11, 2023 10:30 AM NPT By: Santosh Pokharel

POKHARA, June 11: Pokhara did not experience the scorching heat in this season last year as there was heavy rain in the evening. When it rained every day in the evening, ordinary people perceived Pokhara as a cool city. Even though there was a scorching heat in the afternoon, they experienced relief when it rained in the evening.

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Pokhara tourism entrepreneurs doubt implementation of policies and programs due to lack of budget allocation

Published On: May 21, 2023 01:30 PM NPT By: Santosh Pokharel

POKHARA, May 21: The government has announced that 2080 BS will mark the beginning of 'Nepal Tourism Decade' and 2025 as 'Special Tourism Year'. Presenting the policies and programs for the upcoming financial year, President Ram Chandra Paudel announced the Nepal Tourism Decade and Special Tourism Year.

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Heavily-invested hotel industry of Pokhara left in the lurch as international flights seems a pipe dream

Published On: May 10, 2023 07:15 PM NPT By: Santosh Pokharel

POKHARA, May 10: Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA) has been operational for four months now. The tourism entrepreneurs of Pokhara were hopeful of the operation of international flights from Pokhara from the very first day (January 1, 2023) when the international airport came into operation.

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Pokhara International Airport reopens after three days

Published On: April 16, 2023 08:00 PM NPT By: Santosh Pokharel

POKHARA, April 16: Pokhara International Airport, which has been closed since Friday, opened only at 2.30 pm on Sunday. Flights to and from Pokhara had been affected since Thursday evening due to heavy fog.

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Air pollution: Poor visibility affects flights from Pokhara International Airport

Published On: April 14, 2023 07:30 PM NPT By: Santosh Pokharel

POKHARA, April 14: Major cities are currently experiencing high levels of air pollution, particularly in areas such as Pokhara and the capital city, Kathmandu. This pollution has become so severe that it is now impacting the visibility for flights at the Pokhara Regional International Airport. As a result, no aircraft were able to land at the airport until 3:30 PM on Friday afternoon.

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Princess of Qatar takes paragliding training in Syangja

Published On: March 29, 2023 09:00 AM NPT By: Santosh Pokharel

POKHARA, March 29: Many tourists who arrive in Pokhara do not miss an opportunity for paragliding. Some foreign tourists even come to Pokhara for paragliding training. Among them, a high-profile guest, Princess Asma Al Thani of Qatar, also took paragliding training in Syangja a few days ago.

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Tourism sector in trouble as occupancy rate of hotels in Pokhara stands 20 percent despite peak tourist season

Published On: March 27, 2023 10:00 AM NPT By: Santosh Pokharel

POKHARA, March 27: This time of the year is the main season for tourists from third countries. The occupancy ratio of hotels in Pokhara should be at least 80 percent. But as the hotel occupancy rate is only 20 percent, leaving tourism entrepreneurs here highly worried about the fate of their business.

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