An enormous disparity between number of hotels and number of tourists arriving puts investment at risk

KATHMANDU, Dec 07:The Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) has urged that the government give hotels national priority and treat them equally.

HAN has urged that the hotel industry be recognized as an industry by hosting a workshop in partnership with the Department of Tourism, eliminating legal complexities, and optimizing the airport and road network.

Hoteliers have urged that the department examine star hotel requirements, offer gasoline and power concessions, and improve homestay management.

HAN President Binayak Shah stated that the government should grant concessions because tourist arrivals are low in comparison to the number of hotels.  He stated that, while Nepal has the capacity to host 3.5 million tourists each year, the future of the hotel industry is risk because the number of arrivals is limited to approximately 1.5 million. According to him, hotels can capacity to accommodate  3.5 million tourists per year.

Dr. Ganesh Prasad Pandey, Tourism Secretary, proposed that instead of adding hotels, merchants make a package to extend visitor stays and improve service facilities.

Former Tourism Secretary Dipendrapurush Dhakal emphasized the importance of short-term goals above long-term planning. He said that road and air connectivity need to be improved.

Deepak Raj Joshi, Chief Executive Officer of the Nepal  Tourism Board, pointed out the need to immediately implement the e-visa and e-payment systems.