CHITWAN, July 16: Seven resorts that faced closure after expiry of their lease contract to operate inside the Chitwan National Park (CNP) have stopped lodging tourists from Thursday. However, employees of resorts are still staying inside the park for guarding the buildings and other structures and taking care of elephants kept for tourist services. [break]
Hoteliers said CNP office had sent them a letter instructing them not to lodge tourists after the contract expires.
With the delay in extending the 15-year long contract period that expired on Wednesday, CNP administration ordered the closure of the resorts -- Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge, Machan Wildlife Camp, Chitwan Jungle Lodge, Gaida Wildlife Camp, Island Jungle Resort, Hotel Narayani Safari and Temple Tiger Hotel.
“Some employees are still in the hotels to guard the hotel premises and take care of elephants,” said Ramesh Prasai, camp manager of Island Jungle Resort.
Conservationists had criticized the then government for extending the lease contract of those resorts, which are often blamed for destroying natural habitats of animals in the park which is included on the list of world heritage sites, in 1994.
Around 70 hotels and resorts are operating in and around the CNP which is also the third most popular tourist destination in Nepal.
“The government treated us like minor contractors. The government´s reluctance to renew the lease contracts of seven resorts operating inside the park is irresponsible and it is detrimental to the wildlife safari tourism in Nepal,” Prakash Shrestha, managing director of Machan Wildlife Camp, said expressing dissatisfaction at the government´s decision.
The government should have given certain time to relocate the hotels outside the park before ordering their closure. He claimed that the abrupt shutdown of the resorts will cause a negative impact on jungle safari tourism.
Basanta Mishra, managing director of Temple Tiger Hotel, said the hoteliers have to cancel the bookings due to the CNP´s decision to close down the hotels at a time when Nepal has already announced visit Nepal year 2011.
“Wildlife safari, which is premier industry in Nepal, will be badly affected due to the shutdown of hotels,” said Mishra.
Mishra also claimed that the closure will encourage wildlife poachers in the coming days.
Tiger Tops had been operating inside the park for the last 45 years. It was operational even before the establishment of CNP. Other resorts were opened in different times between late 80s and early 90s. They had been annually paying around Rs 45 million in royalty, conservation fee and entry fees with Tiger Tops Jungle being major contributor to the CNP.
