Increased Arrival, Higher Occupancy: Nepal’s Tourism Industry Optimistic  

Birat Anupam

Recently Nepal’s famed and spacious five-star hotel Hyatt Regency issued a notice of indefinite closure citing physical damage to the property incurred during Gen-Z movement of September.

Before, this formal closure, Nepal’s saw closure of more than 30 hotels including cable car facilities from East Nepal’s Jhapa district to the Far West Nepal’s Kanchanpur district.

As per the preliminary estimation of Nepal Tourism Board, the official tourism promotion agency of Nepal, more than 2,000 people have lost jobs permanently.

”Of the burnt hotels and resorts only around seven are feasible to start within a year”, said Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO of Nepal Tourism Board.

Despite this tourism tragedy, there are positive signs in Nepal’s this autumn season.

”We are welcoming around 4,000 international tourists daily at Tribhuvan International Airport”, said Hikmat Singh Ayer, Senior Director at Nepal Tourism Board, ”Same was the average figure last year also.”

Hotel Operators are visibly optimistic on the growing occupancy. According to Gaurab Shrestha, General Manager at Kathmandu Guest House (KGH), the hotel facility is welcoming foreign tourists like before.

”Even after Gen-Z movement, international arrival is satisfactory at KGH Kathmandu.”

Nepal’s major tourist destinations are witnessing increased occupancy.

Reports by RSS, the official National News Agency of Nepal, say Pokhara has 90 percent plus occupancy, Mustang is welcoming more than seven thousand tourists per day and Annapurna Trekking saw 30 thousand trekkers in the last month alone.

Nepal Tourism Board says the international arrival and domestic occupancy both are in positive trends.

International arrival is increasing; thanks to the travel operators and robust domestic occupancy is a result of Nepal’s longest holiday of three major autumn festivals, Dashin, Tihar and Chhath.

”Autumn is the season with longest festival holidays in Nepal and this is the best season to go multi-day trekking”, says Basudev Baral, a tourism entrepreneur from Dharan.

Baral added, ”This season makes domestic travel vibrant both culturally and professionally.” 

In 2024, Nepal welcomed 1,147,567 foreign tourists.

According to the data Of Nepal Investment Board, tourism contributes 1.1 percent to Nepal’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).