Tourism capital Pokhara faces low hotel occupancy in second major tourist season

KATHMANDU: Hotels in Pokhara, the tourism capital of Nepal, are experiencing lower-than-expected tourist occupancy during the second major tourist season.

According to Laxman Subedi, President of the Pokhara Hotel Association, the current hotel occupancy is only 40%.

This is significantly lower compared to the same period last year, when hotel occupancy had reached nearly 50%.

Subedi explained that many tourists traveling for trekking or heading directly to religious sites like Muktinath are not staying overnight in Pokhara, which has contributed to the lower hotel occupancy.

However, with the upcoming New Year and the completion of school exams, he anticipates an increase in domestic tourist arrivals.

The number of foreign tourists visiting Pokhara and staying overnight in hotels is also lower than expected.

Tourism business owners, who have made significant investments in the hospitality sector, are concerned about the decrease in tourist arrivals during the peak season.

To attract more visitors to Pokhara, the association has organized the 20th Fewa New Year Festival.

During the festival, hotels are offering a 30% discount. Suvedi expects hotel occupancy to exceed 90% during the New Year period.

Pokhara’s hotel capacity can accommodate around 40,000 tourists daily.

Currently, the average number of both domestic and international tourists in the city is about 20,000. Subedi pointed out that the 1,200-plus hotels in Pokhara could only reach full occupancy if 40,000 tourists are present each day.

Many Indian tourists visit Pokhara and surrounding destinations to escape the heat and explore the area, with nearly 40% heading to Muktinath for religious purposes.

Additionally, tourists from third countries, who are on trekking expeditions to various destinations, also spend some time in Pokhara.

These tourists use both air and road routes to enter the city, contributing to the increasing activity in famous trekking destinations like the Annapurna Circuit.

According to Krishna Prasad Acharya, Chair of the Trekking Associations of Nepal (TAAN) Gandaki, the arrival of tourists has increased as the trekking season begins in the spring. “There is a noticeable rise in tourist activity on trekking routes,” Acharya said.

“Many tourists, both foreign and domestic, come to Nepal for trekking after the autumn season.”

Popular trekking destinations in the Annapurna Conservation Area include Annapurna Base Camp, Mardi Himal, Ghorepani, Manang’s Tilicho Lake, Thorong La Pass, Upper Mustang, Muktinath, and others, which attract a large number of trekkers.

The Annapurna Circuit is globally renowned as one of the best trekking destinations, Acharya added. The announcement of Pokhara as Nepal’s tourism capital last year has also contributed to a rise in tourist interest in the city.

To increase tourist arrivals, Acharya emphasized the importance of regularizing and improving both road and international air routes to Pokhara.

However, he also pointed out that some old and established trekking routes have been impacted by road construction, and alternative routes need to be explored.

According to the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), 244,045 foreign tourists visited the Annapurna region in 2024.

Of these, 132,094 were from South Asian countries, and 111,951 were from other countries. This is the highest number of visitors to the region to date.

The previous record was in 2023, with 191,558 visitors. In 2019, the region saw 181,000 tourists, but the COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant decline in tourist arrivals. During the pandemic, only 16,105 tourists visited the Annapurna region in 2021.

However, the numbers began to recover in 2022, with 129,733 visitors. The tourism sector in the Annapurna region has now returned to its pre-pandemic growth trajectory, as reported by ACAP.