Hotels in Chitwan see surge in tourists despite monsoon challenges

CHITWAN: Hoteliers in Chitwan have reported a surge in tourists from home and abroad despite monsoon challenges, industry representatives said.

Entrepreneurs said arrivals at Sauraha, Patihani, Jagatpur, Meghauli, and other major sites in the district have risen compared with previous years, and they largely attributed the increase in domestic visitors to the introduction of a two-day public holiday each week.

The flow of Chinese and Indian tourists has also risen significantly. Mahesh Khanal, general secretary of the Regional Hotel Association, said domestic tourist numbers had increased by around 25% compared with the same period last year following the implementation of the two-day weekly holiday. He added that school and college holidays had also helped boost domestic tourism, and that overall hotel occupancy in the district had reached about 50%.

Khanal said poor road infrastructure had prompted some prospective visitors to choose alternative destinations. He noted that while some hotels in Sauraha used to close during the rainy season, expansion of the hotel sector and targeted marketing have begun to attract guests year-round.

Suman Ghimire, former president of Regional Hotel Association Chitwan and central member of Hotel Association Nepal, said the two-day weekly holiday had delivered direct benefits for hotels.

Sauraha is home to 141 hotels. Luxury properties in Patihani, Jagatpur and Meghauli together offer accommodation for up to 10,000 guests per day.

(With inputs from RSS)