Pokhara hoteliers promote Gandaki Province overseas

POKHARA, Feb 3: Paschimanchal Hotel Association Pokhara (PHAP) is promoting the Gandaki Province in international cities. PHAP has carried out promotions in Indian cities close to the Nepali border and further plans to promote the province in Kolkata and Bangladesh. 

In the 39th annual general assembly of the organization, the association said that they are promoting the province in foreign countries apart from India. According to Bharat Raj Parajuli, immediate past president of PHAP, the association has plans to promote the province in Bangladesh. “Chinese tourists are not able to arrive due to the coronavirus. Due to this reason, we have started searching possible markets for promotion and we have planned to promote in Bangladesh and some gulf countries,” said Parajuli, “We hope to increase the number of tourists from Bangladesh.”  

According to Parajuli, most of the promotion was being carried out in Indian cities close to the border but it is important to explore other foreign markets as well. “We are planning to start promotion in Bangladesh within February,” he said.

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PHAP is also planning promotion of the Gandaki Province in gulf countries which have easy access to Nepal. PHAP has plans to promote in gulf counties like Dubai and Qatar. According to Parajuli, it is easy to bring tourists from gulf countries in Nepal as they have easy access and tourists from gulf countries have huge capacity to spend large amount of money in Nepal. “We are planning to promote in the gulf countries soon,” he said.

PHAP has been promoting with the slogan 'Chaliye Pokhara' from 2012 in the Indian market and has been promoting for the past 18 years with the slogan 'Jau Hai Pokhara' in the domestic market. 

According to Bikal Tulachan, president of PHAP, we are preparing to promote in Bangladesh within one month. “India and China are big markets for us. Bangladesh is also appropriate market for us,” said Tulachan, “We have taken Bangladesh as an alternative market. Due to this reason, we have planned to promote in Bangladesh.” Around 25,000 tourists arrive from Bangladesh in Nepal.

According to Sajan Shakya, general secretary of PHAP, 'Jau Hai Pokhara' and Chaliye Pokhara' campaigns have created positive impact in the field of tourism. The branding of Pokhara will additionally help in the arrival of tourists.