POKHARA, Dec 30: An international-level balloon festival is currently underway at Pokhara’s Pame area, the starting point of Phewa Lake. The area, which is about eight kilometers west from Lakeside, the tourist area of Pokhara, was crowded with domestic tourists till late on Sunday evening. The majority of participants at the balloon festival were domestic tourists, with very few foreign visitors.
Domestic visitors during the weekend holidays flocked to the Pame area in large numbers. In previous years, visitors would typically enjoy their time only around the Lakeside area, but this year, the balloon festival has attracted tourists all the way to Pame.
Bikram Bade, president of Balloon Nepal, said, “Balloon festivals are not new for foreign tourists. However, for internal and Indian guests, it is a new product, which makes it more attractive.” According to him, around 250 guests fly in the balloons each day. Of these, about 120 people experience full flights, while the rest fly just a little above the ground for a fee of Rs 2,000 per person.
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He said that since this is the first time such a festival has been held in Nepal, it is a new experience for most of the domestic visitors. He stated that the success of this festival, held for the first time in Pokhara, was due to the presence of domestic visitors. “The balloon festival cashes in from the increase in the arrival of domestic tourists for the street festival in Pokhara,” he added.
A street festival is currently ongoing in Pokhara. The organizer – Restaurant and Bar Association of Nepal (REBAN) – expects about 500,000 guests to attend the street festival which has been running for the past 26 years. Entrepreneurs said that this festival has been playing a significant role in bringing domestic guests to Pokhara. They said that the tourism sector has become vibrant due to the arrival of domestic guests.
“Foreign guests are vital for the tourism sector. However, domestic tourists have greatly contributed to Pokhara’s tourism business,” said Bharat Raj Parajuli, a central member of the Hotel Association Nepal (HAN), “Domestic tourists have become the mainstay of the tourism business. Without them, the tourism sector would have been inactive.”
He said that domestic tourists participate in almost all tourist activities held in Pokhara. “In the last week, the hotel occupancy in Pokhara has doubled from 25 percent, due to the contribution of domestic tourists. This occupancy will likely increase further in the coming days and then gradually slow down,” he added.
According to Tika Ram Sapkota, a former member of the Nepal Tourism Board, the contribution of domestic tourists to Pokhara's tourism sector is very important. According to Sapkota, stakeholders in Nepal were unaware of the importance of domestic tourists until Nepal celebrated the Visit Nepal Year 1998.
According to Sapkota, before the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic, the share of domestic guests in Nepal had reached about 40 percent. However, post-pandemic, the share of domestic guests has decreased somewhat. He said that the economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic led to a disruption in tourism, resulting in a decline in the contribution of domestic tourists.
“The main foundation of the tourism sector remains domestic visitors. However, it has declined compared to the pre-COVID 19 period. If the pandemic had not occurred, the tourism sector would have received even more support from domestic tourists. However, it has weakened in recent times.”
