Hotel occupancy in Pokhara drops to 15% this monsoon

By Santosh Subedi,Kaski, Aug. 2: This is currently the off-season for tourism, which is why the number of visitors in Pokhara is relatively low. Even domestic tourists, who usually frequent the area, have been compelled to stay home due to the monsoon and poor road conditions. Although Pokhara remains the top choice for internal travellers, tourism entrepreneurs say there has been little movement due to the rains.

Laxman Subedi, Chairperson of the Western Regional Hotel Association, described the tourism sector as virtually deserted. "It is the off-season, and tourists usually do not travel in monsoon. The few who do come are mostly domestic travellers. 

At present, hotel occupancy in Pokhara stands at around 15 per cent, mostly with Indians, a few third-country nationals, and Nepali guests," he said. According to him, tourism in Pokhara is expected to remain stagnant until mid-October.

The Association reports that Pokhara has more than 1,200 tourist-standard hotels capable of accommodating up to 40,000 guests in a single night. Subedi noted that hotel rooms range from as low as Rs. 1,000 to luxury suites priced in the hundreds of thousands. Of these, 425 hotels are registered with the Hotel Association, with a total of around 1,200 operating in Pokhara and surrounding areas.

Subedi said that Pokhara’s accessibility has worsened. Road travel is cumbersome, and flights are often uncertain during the rainy season, affecting business. Despite having an international airport, no international flights have yet commenced. 

He estimated that due to poor road conditions over the past 3–4 months, tourists have started choosing alternative destinations, resulting in declining hotel occupancy. However, he remains hopeful that tourist numbers will begin to rise from October.

Former Chair of the Pokhara Tourism Council, Pom Narayan Shrestha, said tourist arrivals are slow at this time. "A few Indian tourists are visiting, but business-wise, the situation is quite weak. The rain has made travel difficult, reducing visitor numbers," he said. 

Shrestha believes that Indian tourist arrivals could rise if tourism were properly promoted during this period. "India experiences intense heat at this time of year, and many look to escape it. Cooler and safer destinations like Pokhara and Mustang are ideal. To attract them, coordination between the provincial government and tourism entrepreneurs is essential," he said.

Flights grounded by rain

Former president of the Nepal Air Sports Association, Krishna Bhandari, said paragliding flights have come to a halt due to heavy rainfall. "Three consecutive days of rain have suspended flights. Even on other days, being monsoon season, only around 50 to 60 flights take place daily," he said. 

Paragliding flights usually take off from Sarangkot and Toripani and land around Fewa Lake and Chankhapur. The current charge for a paragliding flight is Rs. 7,500.