Balewa (Baglung), 22 February: With the recent boom in tourism, the hotel business has started gaining traction here. Investment in hotels has started increasing from the district headquarters Baglung Bazaar to the remote areas of the district. Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey inaugurated Hotel Ila Comfort in the district headquarters Baglung Bazaar a few days ago.
This hotel, which came into operation recently, is the first hotel with a lot of investment in the district. The hotel, which was brought into operation by the President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Chandra Prasad Dhakal, with an investment of Rs 300 million, has expanded its service facilities targeting tourists entering the district headquarters. Two hotels that were operating in the market about 6 months ago expanded their services. They increased their investment. Hotel Red Apple has brought its services into operation in a wider area after relocation, while Hotel Sheetal has started its service with an additional investment of Rs 20 million.
Hotels in the district headquarters, including Hotel The Rajan, Peace Palace, Summit Dhaulagiri, Hotel Parv, are also expanding their services. Other hotels and restaurants have also focused on tourist-oriented services. Outside the district headquarters, Mountain View in Ghodabandhe, Galkot Square in Galkot, Agro Resort in Badigad, Sakura in Kushmishera, Hotel Durbar in Burtibang, and Hotel Lokmarg in Jhinwakhola in Nishi are tourist-oriented hotels.
Investment in the hotel business in Baglung is increasing with the aim of promoting tourism. Sanjay Shrestha, the owner of Hotel Sagun, says that the expansion of well-equipped hotels and lodges has increased as the number of tourists visiting Baglung’s famous Kalika Bhagwati Temple, Panchakot, Shalgram Museum, and Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve has increased. The Kaligandaki Corridor and the Mid-Hill Highway are helping tourists come here. “The existing hotels alone are not enough to accommodate the increasing number of tourists coming here,” said Arjun Chokhal, Gandaki Province President of the Federation of Hotel Entrepreneurs. “Increasing investment in the hotel business is a positive message not only for the district but also for the province.”
Businessmen have invested between Rs 10 million and Rs 30 million in the hotel sector, and more than 1,000 people have been employed each year. Tal Bahadur Kunwar, the director of Hotel Shilat, says that the influx of guests has created excitement and that hotel and lodge operators are providing good service. “There are many possibilities here. If the state provides investment protection, investors will be ready,” says Naresh Kandel, president of the Baglung Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “It is the state’s job to attract investment. The focus on the private sector should shift from the local to the central government.”
Businessmen have also started bringing various tourist packages to attract tourists. It has become easier for domestic tourists to find a hotel with facilities for a day’s stay after visiting various areas. With the increase in the arrival of tourists, the income of the hotel has also increased. On days when the hotel is full, a single hotel earns an income of 50,000 to 100,000, says Ram Parajuli, manager of Hotel Parva.
There is a rush of people from all over the country, including schools, groups, cooperatives, individuals, and families, to visit the tourist areas of Baglung. Dholraj Poudel, the owner of Hotel Annapurna, says that 300 to 500 tourists enter the district daily, as it is also a place of residence for tourists returning from Mustang and visiting the Tatopani Kund in Myagdi.
