GANDAKI, Oct 8: The recent rainfall that occurred mainly in five provinces, including Gandaki, has adversely impacted the tourism business in Pokhara.
The significant downpour on October 4–5 prevented potential visitors from traveling to Pokhara to celebrate the Dashain holidays. In light of the heavy rain forecast by the Meteorological Forecasting Division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, the government had advised the public to avoid all travel plans except in emergencies. Similarly, the operation of public vehicles was suspended to avert the potential risk.
During last year’s Dashain period, hotels in Pokhara reported up to 80 percent occupancy. However, this year the occupancy dropped to just 30 percent, according to Laxman Subedi, President of the Hotel Association of Nepal, Pokhara.
"People from different parts of the country usually arrive here after receiving the Dashain Tika on the day of Bijaya Dashami until the concluding day of Dashain. Family trips are also common during the festive season. In previous years, it was very difficult to find a hotel room on Kojagrat Purnima, the concluding day of Dashain, but this time hotel occupancy was minimal," he added.
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