POKHARA: The number of tourists visiting Ghandruk, a popular tourist village in Wards No. 10 and 11 of Annapurna Rural Municipality in Kaski, has started to increase after road access to the area improved.
Tourists have begun arriving in Ghandruk after the Birethanti-Ghandruk road, which had been blocked by floods and landslides, was reopened.
Sneha Gurung, managing director of Nirmal Villa in Ghandruk, said the village started seeing tourists as soon as road access improved. She expressed hope that Ghandruk’s tourism businesses, which had come to a standstill after the road was blocked by floods and landslides, would now gradually recover.
“The tourist season has also started with the festivals. The road has also become easier,” she said. “There were no tourists in June, July and August. Now they have started coming gradually. There is hope that things will improve.”
Laxin Gurung, owner of Hotel Rock and Mood and chairman of Rodhi Club Ghandruk, said it was important to spread the message that the road to Ghandruk is now accessible.
“Tourists have started coming, but many still think the road is in bad condition,” he said. “Many people may have canceled their plans because they thought Ghandruk was not accessible. Now we need to spread the message that the road is easy to travel and that people can visit with confidence.”
He said that although tourists have started arriving after the continuous rains subsided and road conditions improved, the number of visitors remains below expectations.
“It is not that guests have not come as they did in Saur and Bhadau, but the number is still not enough,” he said. “I can accommodate up to 45 people in my hotel. In previous years, the hotel used to be full at this time, but this year only five or seven people have been staying each day.”
Bikram Gurung, chairman of the Ghandruk Tourism Management Committee, said tourism activity in Ghandruk was gradually picking up as the weather improved and the road reopened.
He said around 200 to 300 tourists are currently arriving in Ghandruk each day.
“This is the time when tourists usually come. There was a lot of concern when the road was damaged at this time of year. After everyone took the initiative to repair the road, guests have started coming,” he said. “Previously, at this time of year, there were occasions when guests had to be turned away because there was no accommodation available. This year, however, the number of tourists is gradually increasing. Now, 200 to 300 people are arriving daily.”
Gurung also said that the message that the road to Ghandruk is now accessible should be communicated widely.
“This is the time when the largest number of Nepali guests visit. Even if you know that the road was blocked because of continuous rain, you may not know that it has reopened,” he said. “Therefore, we, the people of Ghandruk, have one request: the road has reopened as the weather has improved. Come and visit with confidence. We are ready to welcome you.”
According to Gurung, Ghandruk can accommodate up to 2,500 guests per day. If there is a large influx of visitors, additional guests can also be accommodated in village homes, he said.
“There are currently 95 hotels and 45 homestays in Ghandruk. Together, these hotels and homestays can accommodate 2,500 guests a day,” he said. “If there are many guests, they can also be accommodated in individual homes. We believe that guests who come to the village should not have to be turned away.”
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