October 31: As the cases of Covid-19 have been declining across the country and the tourism sector is showing signs of slight improvement, hotels and resorts in the country have started announcing vacancies for staff. Mostly, hotels outside the Kathmandu Valley have started demanding staff.

The hotel sector, which has been working with a minimum number of employees, is now demanding new employees.

Hotels like Hyatt Regency and Radisson Hotel in Kathmandu have announced vacancies.

Hyatt Regency Kathmandu has demanded employees ranging from event service managers to Indian chefs. The deserted hotels of Thamel have also demanded staff. Likewise, the three-star Marshyangdi Hotel in Thamel, Kathmandu has also opened an advertisement seeking new employees. Hotel Crown Imperial as well as Yak & Yeti Hotel in Kathmandu have also demanded employees.

Similarly, Siddhartha Hospitality Group has demanded staff. Hotel Siddhartha has demanded staff for Nepalgunj.

People who have not been able to travel for a long time have started going out for sightseeing and now domestic tourism is getting the tourism industry back on track. Due to this, hotels in Pokhara, Chitwan, and the Terai region are demanding staff. 

Dream International Hotel in Butwal has published an advertisement demanding a large number of employees.

The hotel has demanded 65 employees. The resorts of Dhulikhel, a destination near the valley, have also opened advertisement demanding staff.

Hoteliers say new hotels are demanding staff due to increase in tourism activities. Covid-19 infections are on the decline, and tourism is improving due to on-arrival visas. Domestic tourism activities have also increased. That is why employees have been demanded, said Binayak Shah, senior vice-president of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN).

He said a study would be conducted after the festive season regarding the number of employees and workers returning to hotels after the lockdown. Hotels that have reopened their services with only 5 to 10 percent employees during the lockdown have started hiring employees again. Shah says that the business has increased due to the increase in the number of tourists.

Stating that information about tourists visiting Nepal has been obtained through the old network and agencies, Shah said that now there is competition in world tourism. "Other countries also need tourists," he said. 

He said that the main concern now is how to protect the tourists coming to Nepal from Covid-19. He said that the current marketing strategy will be different.

Tourism entrepreneurs say that they will prepare packages and other programs after the festivals targeting domestic tourists. Tourism professionals hope that the current situation will gradually improve from the beginning of 2022.