Biplav Paudel, president of western regional chapter of Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) said "Jaun Hai Pokhara (Lets Go to Pokhara)" campaign will be launched in border cities like Dhangadi and Mahendranagar of far-western region, Nepalgunj of the mid-west and Bhairahawa of western region.[break]
“The season of Indian tourists is set to start soon. Hence, we are launching the campaign in the western parts of the country so that both Nepali and Indian tourists bordering those regions could be targeted,” he told Republica.
India is the largest tourist generating country for Nepal. March to July is regarded as the main season when large numbers of Indian tourists visit the country due to holiday season.
Apart from Indian tourists, entrepreneurs believe the campaign would also help them to lure domestic tourists from western regions. Although there are no official records, entrepreneurs claim Nepalis in mid and far-western regions do not travel as much as people from other regions.
“These regions have a huge potential to generate visitors. Sadly, it has remained untapped so far,” tourism entrepreneur Hari Sharma said.
Earlier, entrepreneurs in Pokhara had launched the campaign in the eastern Nepal and adjoining Indian cities. The campaign proved fruitful and helped raise the number of visitors from the area.
Under the new campaign too, Paudel said the hoteliers and other travel trade entrepreneurs would showcase and inform the general public and potential business partners about special features of Pokhara. They would also interact with tourism associations and other business organizations.
“We will share experiences with entrepreneurs of the bordering areas on how to lure Indian tourists and make them stay longer,” said Paudel. Entrepreneurs claimed such interactions were vital as it provided them with specific feedback on what the locals of those areas think about traveling and ways to attract them.
Apart from the bordering Indian cities, local entrepreneurs are also launching Lets Go to Pokhara campaign in the interior cities in northern India from the next month. For this, Paudel said they are joining hands with tourism entrepreneurs of Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj and Dhangadi, among others.
“Entrepreneurs of these cities know cities of Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal better, and have better contacts than we do. Hence, we are seeking their support in the campaign which will be beneficial for both,” said Paudel.
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