Pokhara, 24 January: Pokhara was declared the tourism capital of Nepal last year at the special initiative of Pokhara Metropolitan City. This announcement received a lot of attention, both positively and critically. It was commented that Pokhara was declared the tourism capital without creating a proper strategy, infrastructure development, and long-term plan. However, the belief that Pokhara will reap significant economic, social, and cultural benefits from the declaration of Pokhara as the tourism capital has added a different energy to the tourism entrepreneurs of Pokhara.
After the announcement, all stakeholders believe that it will not only give Pokhara international recognition, but also contribute to the growth of the local economy, creation of employment opportunities and accelerated infrastructure development, attracting tourists and contributing to the preservation and promotion of local art, culture and natural beauty. Currently, Pokhara Metropolitan City is preparing to celebrate Pokhara Visit Year 2025 in a grand manner.
Pokhara Metropolitan City Mayor Dhanraj Acharya informed that preparations are underway to launch the Visit Pokhara Year, which is included in the city’s policy and program, by holding a formal program in late January or February. He said that special preparations are being made to make the Pokhara Visit Year a success. “We have started our homework with the belief that the Pokhara Visit Year 2025 will prove to be a milestone for the advancement and promotion of the tourism sector of our metropolis, and we will make it a success,” said Mayor Acharya.
He said that various tourism activities, national and international collaboration have been prioritized to make Pokhara, the tourism capital of Nepal, an excellent destination. “To truly take Pokhara’s tourism to new heights, coordination of all parties and a long-term approach should be adopted,” Acharya said. He expressed confidence that friendly country China has declared Visit Nepal Year 2025 for its citizens and that it will play a historic role in promoting Nepal’s tourism. “This step has further strengthened the friendship between Nepal and China and has also provided an opportunity to introduce Nepal’s tourist destinations, including Pokhara, to the world.”
It is believed that the cultural festivals organized in Thamel and Bhaktapur on the occasion of Visit Nepal Year 2025 and Chinese New Year will add a new dimension to Nepal’s cultural diversity, traditions, and tourism promotion.
Pokhara Metropolitan City’s Tourism and Urban Development Division Chief Bimal Ranjan Karki said that Pokhara Metropolitan City has included various plans to make the year 2025 a success as a special tourism year. According to him, the aim is to start regular flights to major countries from Pokhara International Airport, prioritize adventure tourism along with cultural, rural and eco-tourism for tourism diversification, and improve the economic situation of local communities by implementing plans based on direct participation. In addition, new programs will be launched to provide tourists with an unforgettable experience by promoting Pokhara internationally through digital means.
Karki informed that the metropolis has put forward an ambitious plan to attract 1.5 million tourists after this announcement. “In this plan, tourism, infrastructure development, environmental sustainability, and community upliftment have been given priority,” Karki said, “The metropolis has set a goal to promote Pokhara as a tourist destination throughout the year by collaborating with the private sector.” At least one tourist destination will be developed in each ward and hiking trails will be constructed from lake to lake, cave to cave, and lake to lake. Special projects include the construction of an international conference center, a glass bridge at Davis Falls, development of tourist infrastructure in the Seti River Gorge, and construction of a waste management center. In addition to further promoting destinations such as Fewa Lake, Sarangkot, and the Annapurna Circuit, efforts are also being made to provide diverse experiences to tourists through new eco-tourism initiatives, cultural tourism programs, and community-based projects.
Similarly, it is stated that in addition to operating tourism programs based on natural beauty and cultural heritage, infrastructure development plans such as construction of Muktinath entrance, construction of a dam on Fewa Lake, multi-purpose entrance park in Kotremjhuwa, development of Fewa Beach on the upper part of Fewa Lake, reconstruction of Ratna Temple as a palace museum, heritage trail and metro taxi service will be implemented.
Work has begun on various projects for tourism development and local livelihood improvement in Pokhara, which are currently underway with the financial support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Project Manager Engineer Kabita Poudel informed that the ADB has provided financial assistance of $31.79 million for the Urban Resilience and Livelihood Improvement Project.
Senior Vice President of Pokhara Tourism Council, Hari Bhujel, said that the Pokhara Visit Year, which has been announced and prepared by Pokhara Metropolitan City, can be taken as an important opportunity for the development of the tourism sector and the global recognition of Pokhara. He said that the recently held dragon boat race competition, street festival, hot air balloon festival and other water, land and sky-oriented festivals have further helped in introducing Pokhara to the international world. He suggested that priority should be given to the promotion of adventure tourism, rural tourism and cultural tourism for the Visit Year as well.
Dr. Ramchandra Lamichhane, former vice-chairman of the Pokhara Metropolitan Urban Planning Commission and tourism strategy planner, says that we should not just declare the Visit Year but work to achieve its goals. “Tourists will not come just by declaring Pokhara Visit Year, we should focus on developing programs and infrastructure with a strategic plan.” He pointed out the need for a clear strategy and strong will to implement the declaration.
To establish Pokhara as an international destination, transportation, hotels, guides, security, hospitality and strong participation of the local community should be ensured. Active participation of the local community, environmental protection and excellent infrastructure development are essential to make Pokhara’s tourism sustainable and prosperous. In addition, stakeholders say that aspects such as infrastructure expansion, promotion of international flight networks and diversity of tourism programs should be prioritized.
