Hotels in Pokhara to remain closed till mid-October

POKHARA: Hotels in Pokhara, one of the major touristic destinations of Nepal, are likely to remain closed at least till mid-October.

The hotels were closed with the enforcement of lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Western Regional Hotel Association, Pokhara, hotels cannot be opened before mid-October as operating business as per the WHO standards is not possible in the current situation.

“The situation is uncertain and the effect of COVID-19 will remain even after the relaxation of the lockdown. Chances of foreign tourists visiting the country are slim. If tourists start visiting, it will be difficult to provide services as per the WHO standards,” said Bikal Tulachan, President of the Association.

According to him, it requires at least one to two years for the hotel industry to be normal. As a result, a large number of workers working in the touristic city of Pokhara is sure to lose their jobs for long time.

Tourism entrepreneur Naresh Bhattarai said big hotels of Pokhara, including Hotel Grand, Fishtail, Barahi, Temple Tree and Landmark are providing employment to only 15 percent of their staff during the lockdown, The Rising Nepal reported.

All other staff members have been sent to their homes on ‘no-work-no-pay’ policy, he said, adding that there was no alternative to them when their turnover fell to almost zero.

Bhattarai expressed his dissatisfaction over the reluctance of the government to introduce a relief package for the tourism sector in its recently introduced policy and program for the next fiscal year.

The Association has urged the government to manage the exemption of rent to those running in rented houses and introduce packages for the livelihood of workers losing their jobs.

There is an investment of around Rs 400 billion in the tourism sector of Pokhara. More than 400 hotels having a bed capacity of around 30,000 are registered with the Association.

Around 25,000 workers are involved in hotels and restaurants of Pokhara of which 80 percent have been sent home on unpaid leave due to the lockdown.