Photo Courtesy: Hotel Himalayan Villa

August 6: Hotels and resorts in tourist destinations in the vicinity of Kathmandu such as Nagarkot and Dhulikhel have started attracting domestic tourists. Hotels and resorts in these locations are slowly picking up their business, especially due to weekend vacations, small workshops, and MICE tourism.

Domestic tourists have started visiting these destinations after the government eased the prohibitory order imposed since April 29 and stepped up vaccination drive in recent days. According to the hoteliers, the occupancy of hotels and resorts in these destinations has reached 75 to 80 percent on weekends. Domestic tourists visit Nagarkot and Dhulikhel mostly on holidays.

Entrepreneurs said that they are receiving encouraging guests during the weekend. Hira Shrestha, sales and marketing manager of Nagarkot-based Hotel Himalayan Villa, said that hotels in Nagarkot have occupancy up to 80 percent on weekends. On other days, the total occupancy is 5 to 10 percent, he added.

"On other days, only 10/12 people come to the big hotels, and 5/7 people come to the small ones," he said.

He said that despite the improvement in tourist arrivals and occupancy in January and February, it was not possible to do business after the prohibitory order was issued on April 29.

He said that the hotel has been open since July 20, and domestic tourists have been coming sporadically. Shyam Mahat, managing director (MD) of Himalayan View Resort, said that the occupancy rate of his hotel is 7 to 8 percent.

He said that although the number of domestic tourists has increased due to the easing of prohibitory order, the number of tourists has been declining for a few days now.

Now, he says, tourist arrival has been low due to the panic and infection rate of the third wave of Covid-19.

He said that they are providing services by fulfilling the health standards prescribed by the government.

He said that it was necessary to bring a policy to provide relief to this business through monetary policy. Entrepreneurs have become enthusiastic after the coronavirus infection subsided and the resumption of vaccination drive.

Prem Chandra Shrestha, president of Hotel Association Kavre, who is also the MD of Dhulikhel Luggage Resort, said that the occupancy of hotels here is 25 percent on average.

According to him, there are 50 hotels and resorts in Dhulikhel. Entrepreneurs are worried that the current transmission rate of Covid-19, which has been increasing for a few days, will reduce the current rate of arrival of domestic tourists to zero.