Festival coordinator Bikash Bhattarai speaks at a press conference organized by the Restaurant and Bar Association (REBAN) Pokhara in Kathmandu on Wednesday to provide information about the 26th Pokhara Street Festival 2024, which will be organized in Pokhara from December 28 to 1 January. Photo: Hariram Bhetuwal / RSS
Kathmandu, 18 December: The 26th Pokhara Street Festival is to be held in the tourism capital of Pokhara from 13 to 17 December with the aim of promoting domestic and foreign tourism.
The Restaurant and Bar Association (REBAN) Pokhara is planning to organize a festival on the occasion of the English New Year. REBAN informed in a press conference in Kathmandu today that all preparations for the Pokhara Street Festival have been completed. REBAN Central President Sangharsh Bista expressed confidence that the street festival will help in promoting domestic tourism as well as extending the stay of foreign tourists.
He said that the festival has also helped in promoting Nepali products in local tourism and reaching the global market. Chairman Bista said that the display of various Nepali foods, ethnic costumes and traditional culture will make a significant contribution to the overall promotion of tourism.
The festival is being held in an area of about three kilometers from the lakeside area of Pokhara with the slogan ‘Eat on the road, enjoy on the road’. The Pokhara Street Festival is considered a one-stop place to promote art and culture, market locally produced materials, and promote and brand them. The festival has been attracting tourists and also providing a ‘platform’ for the conservation of endangered materials.
Overall, the street festival has become a strong medium for stimulating economic activity at the local level, earning foreign exchange, and creating employment, said festival coordinator Bikash Bhattarai. “Before the festival was organized in Pokhara, many Nepali citizens used to go abroad to celebrate the English New Year. Due to the lack of attractive programs in Nepal, foreign tourists also used to leave Nepal and return home,” he said. “However, the continuity for the past 25 years has now created an environment for not only Nepali tourism but also foreigners to celebrate the New Year in Pokhara. Due to the festival, the arrival of domestic and foreign tourists in Pokhara has increased significantly.”
The festival is promoted by the Nepal Tourism Board, Pokhara Metropolitan City, Gandaki Province Government and Pokhara Tourism Council. The Pokhara Street Festival, which has been held continuously for the past 25 years, has been the largest festival in the country. This festival has been instrumental in extending the stay of domestic and foreign tourists in Pokhara. Last year alone, five hundred thousand domestic and foreign tourists visited the street festival, informed the outgoing president of REBAN Pokhara, Naresh Bhattarai. He estimates that about five hundred thousand tourists will visit the festival this year. REBAN Pokhara President Bishwaraj Poudel said that the festival will make a significant contribution not only to Pokhara but also to the national economy as a whole.
According to him, up to 20 percent discount will be given on the price list of restaurants at the street festival on the occasion of the festival. Similarly, 20 percent discount will be given on hotels and 10 percent discount on paragliding services. Free trade booths have been arranged for the promotion of local products, use of environmentally friendly products, and promotion of Nepali handicrafts.
The main attractions of the festival include endangered cultural programs of various ethnic groups, displays of original costumes, tableau competitions, displays of national and international cuisine, live concerts, and sports such as boat races, waiter races, tug of war, momo, and sausage eating competitions.
