Pokhara tourism hard hit by ongoing road expansion works

By Santosh Subedi,Kaski, Aug. 25: Tourism in Pokhara is currently going through an 'off season'. The number of tourists arriving in the city declines notably during the monsoon, a situation made worse by the bad condition of roads. 

Laxman Subedi, president of the Western Regional Hotel Association Pokhara, said that haphazard work on the expansion of the Mugling-Pokhara road had pushed tourism into a slump. "It would have been better if they had worked in a phased manner. But they have demolished everything and are working unhurriedly. This has kept people away."

He said that the condition was so bad that even people who preferred to travel by road did not want to take the Pokhara-Kathmandu Highway. In other times, Nepalis and foreigners would have flown to the city but the rains have hindered air travel too. 

Had the Pokhara International Airport succeeded in attracting international carriers, it would have helped tourists come to the city directly from their countries. But the airport still does not have international flights, a dissatisfied Subedi said. "Hotel occupancies are down to 5 per cent," he informed.

Sharing that 25 per cent of tourism entrepreneurs quit the business during the calamitous COVID-19 pandemic, Subedi worried that the current situation was destroying the sustainability of Pokhara's tourism sector.

President of the Pokhara Tourism Council Pom Narayan Shrestha also blamed the slow pace of work on the Mugling-Pokhara road for the lack of tourists. "It takes a long time to cover a short distance. The travel is uncomfortable. It is especially difficult for those who need extra care and medical attention."

He complained that it took a whole day to reach Pokhara from Aabukhaireni, a distance that did not use to take more than four hours in the past.

"It used to take, at most, six hours to come from Kathmandu to Pokhara. Now, it takes around 12," Shrestha said, adding that the ongoing highway expansion was not proving pleasant for Pokhara's tourism.