Pokhara receives fewer domestic tourists this year

KATHMANDU, Oct 20: The arrival of domestic tourists to Pokhara has decreased this year. The three-month period of September-November is considered as the peak season for foreign visitors, especially for trekking. As this season is a suitable time for trekking, the arrival of foreigners increases during this time. A significant number of domestic tourists used to explore Pokhara due to the long holiday festivals in the previous years. However, this year, the lack of both foreign and domestic tourists has left Pokhara quite deserted.

Last year, the arrival of domestic tourists during the festival holidays provided significant relief to tourism entrepreneurs in Pokhara. However, this time, the absence of domestic visitors has affected the businesses, according to local entrepreneurs. Hotels in Pokhara, which used to be fully booked during this season, are now empty. Not only hotels but the overall revenue of the tourism sector has been severely impacted, as reported by the entrepreneurs.

Dharma Raj Panthi, the director of Hotel Asia, said, “This year, even domestic guests did not arrive during the long Dashain holiday. The hotel used to be crowded last year but now it is empty. Pokhara wears a deserted look, as foreign and domestic tourists did not arrive. Last year, hotel occupancy during this season was around 90 percent. There have been no arrivals from either domestic or foreign guests.”

Panthi, who is also the outgoing president of the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN), said, “Due to the recent floods before Dashain, all domestic and foreign guests are hesitant to come to Pokhara. As the journey by road is unsafe and difficult, domestic guests were also unable to visit Pokhara.” He said that due to the recent disasters, foreign guests were hesitant to come to Nepal and domestic guests were also unable to go out for visits.

According to him, this is the ideal season for trekking. A large number of foreign guests usually arrive in Pokhara specifically for trekking. However, due to the fear caused by the recent disasters, foreign tourists have canceled their trips to Nepal, and domestic travelers are also unable to go out for sightseeing due to the challenging and uncertain travel conditions.

Kishore Dahal, the president of Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA), Gandaki, also said that domestic guests have not arrived in Pokhara this year. Dahal said, "Road travel has become troublesome and travel time is also uncertain. Due to this, even domestic guests have not arrived in Pokhara like they did last year. Guests used to come from Kathmandu, Chitwan, Butwal. However, guests from these places did not come."

Although this is the season for foreign visitors, the lakeside of Pokhara used to be crowded during this time as domestic guests used to arrive. However, it has become quite deserted now. Dahal said, “Tourist buses used to be full, and we were busy transporting passengers. However, this is not the case anymore. Apart from those returning to Kathmandu after celebrating Dashain, there are few guests coming just for a visit. This decline is due entirely to the troublesome and uncertain conditions of road travel.”

The outgoing president of Pokhara Tourism Council (PTC), Gopi Bhattarai, who is also a restaurant entrepreneur, said that the restaurant business has decreased by around 40 percent this season. He said that at this time, private vehicles carrying domestic guests were not seen on the roads of Pokhara’s Lakeside.

Bhattrai said that after Dashain, the hustle and bustle of tourists normally seen in the lakeside of Pokhara until the purnima day has disappeared this time. He said, “ If this situation continues, the tourism sector will further decline. If the state wants to save the tourism sector, it must take immediate steps to ensure tourists feel comfortable.”

Bharat Raj Parajuli, a central member of the Hotel Association Nepal, said that both foreign and domestic guests could not come to Pokhara this time due to the recent disasters. He said, “The huge disaster occurred during the tourist season, causing significant human losses, which made foreign visitors hesitant to go out for a visit. Domestic tourists have also been affected by this situation. Currently, domestic visitors are not coming as they did in previous years. Even after offering discounts of up to 30 percent on hotel room rates, guests are still not arriving.”

Parajuli said that guest arrivals have weakened due to the uncertainty of the weather and the difficult road conditions. The disasters damaged highways just as the festivals were approaching. Traveling on the highways has become extremely difficult, resulting in a decrease in guest arrivals. He said, “Foreigners are also disappointed while domestic tourists are also hesitant to visit, leading to this situation.

Parajuli said that while hotel occupancy in Pokhara used to reach around 90 percent during the long Dashain holidays in previous years, this year has seen a significant decline in guest numbers. He said, “Currently, hotel occupancy is around 40 percent. This level of occupancy is not even enough to cover expenses. The lack of domestic guests' arrival has also impacted businesses. The highway disruptions have greatly impacted tourist arrivals this year."