KASKI, June 23: Hotels in Pokhara, Nepal's tourism capital, are witnessing high occupancy as a surge in Indian tourists continues to boost visitor numbers. Popular areas such as Lakeside and the Tal Barahi Temple have been crowded with Indian visitors in recent weeks.
According to Hotel Association Pokhara Nepal President Laxman Subedi, major religious and tourist destinations in Gandaki Province, particularly the Tal Barahi Temple on Phewa Lake, Bindhyabasini Temple, Muktinath, and various trekking routes, are attracting a large number of Indian tourists.
Subedi said many Indians are choosing Nepal as a convenient and attractive destination to escape the intense summer heat in India and make use of their holidays. He added that welcoming and serving these visitors is the responsibility of Pokhara's tourism industry. The increase in tourist arrivals has also boosted activities such as boating, trekking and other tourism-related services.
Indian tourists account for nearly 35 percent of Pokhara’s tour...
Dhan Bahadur Bik, Deputy General Secretary of the Phewa Boating Entrepreneurs' Organization, said around 4,000 to 5,000 Indian tourists take boat rides on Phewa Lake every day. He noted that Indian visitors have been arriving in significant numbers for the past one and a half months and show particular interest in visiting the Tal Barahi Temple located in the middle of the lake.
"Earlier, boat operators often spent the entire day waiting for customers and returned home empty-handed. The rise in Indian tourists has changed that situation," Bik said. At present, around 140 boats operate daily from Barahi Ghat alone.
Deepak Sapkota, Treasurer of the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) Gandaki, said approximately 150,000 Indian tourists have visited Pokhara over the past one and a half months. He said they are engaging in religious tours, short trekking trips, paragliding, bungee jumping, boating and rafting.
Sapkota added that hotels of all categories, from five-star properties to small lodges and dharamshalas, are currently enjoying strong occupancy due to Indian visitors.
Hotel entrepreneur Parbati Pandey said Indian tourists tend to bargain more over food prices than room rates. Since hotel rooms are relatively expensive in India, visitors generally do not negotiate accommodation charges in Nepal. She said Pokhara's tourism industry is currently being sustained largely by Indian tourists and emphasized that stronger promotion of Nepal's religious and tourism destinations in India could bring even more visitors.
Although tourism entrepreneurs traditionally consider this period an off season, the sharp increase in tourist arrivals has lifted industry confidence. According to tourism operators, the momentum that began during the Nepali New Year has continued through the end of mid-June.
Industry estimates show that about 150,000 Indian tourists visited Pokhara in the past month alone. Hotel occupancy has reached around 90 percent. Most visitors are traveling to sites including Tal Barahi Temple, the Shiva Temple at Pumdikot, Kedareshwar Temple, Bindhyabasini Temple, Muktinath and the Manakamana Temple.
Tourism entrepreneurs say Nepal has sufficient capacity to accommodate visitors, with hotels in Pokhara alone capable of hosting around 10,000 guests at a time. They also stressed the importance of treating visitors warmly, noting that Nepali pilgrims visiting religious sites in India often cook their own meals outside hotels in a similar manner.
