Street festival in the tourist capital Pokhara

Pokhara (Kaski), 30th December: A variety of tableaus showcasing Nepal’s original art and culture have added a unique charm to the three-kilometer area of ​​Lakeside in the tourist capital Pokhara. Looking at the streets of Lakeside, it seems that the representation of different ethnicities, communities and languages ​​of Nepal is revealing the image of the entire country.

The country’s largest Pokhara street festival, which began at Lakeside last Saturday, has boosted Pokhara’s tourism with its tableau parade, artistic performances, and thousands of local and foreign citizens. The ‘Magar Village’, Tharu dance, and special performances by the Gurung community displayed in the tableau parade organized during the inaugural session of the festival were special attractions. The Lakeside area has been decorated like a bride in connection with the festival. The decorations have added to the splendor of the streets.

The street festival is making a significant contribution to the promotion of tourism not only in Pokhara but also in the entire country. More than 65 tableaux reflecting ethnic art and culture were presented at the festival. In addition, stalls selling local indigenous products, handicrafts, and other items are also popular with tourists. The Pokhara street festival, which started 25 years ago, has been helping to boost the national economy, says Bishworaj Paudel, president of the Restaurant and Bar Association (REBAN) Pokhara. REBAN Pokhara has been organizing the festival for 25 years to extend the stay of foreign and domestic tourists, especially during this season when tourism activities are low, and to introduce Pokhara as a synonym for street festivals.

As a continuation of that, the 26th edition of the Pokhara Street Festival was organized, said REBAN Pokhara Chairman Paudel. “The festival has been completely successful due to the tableaus present on the occasion of the inauguration of the street festival. The atmosphere has been created by the diverse cultural performances with remarkable participation. We feel that this year’s festival has been grander than last year,” he said. He said that the festival has been useful in attracting domestic and foreign tourists to Pokhara during the ‘slow’ tourist season.

According to Chairman Paudel, the International Balloon Festival and Dragon Boat Race competition being held in Pokhara during the festival have also helped increase tourism activities. Pokhara’s tourism is also becoming more dynamic due to the adventure destinations of Pokhara ASPA.

Local visitors

REBAN Pokhara expects 500,000 tourists to visit the Pokhara Street Festival to be held from December 28 to January 1 in the English month. Naresh Bhattarai, outgoing chairman of REBAN Pokhara, says that there is a campaign to establish the Pokhara Street Festival, which is held every English New Year, at an international level. Stating that nearly Rs 500 billion has been invested by the private sector in Pokhara, the tourist capital, outgoing chairman Bhattarai said that the state should pay attention to the construction of tourist infrastructure.

Pokhara Street Festival, which started 25 years ago from Pokhara’s Basundhara Park, has now become the largest street festival in the country. “During the festival, we showcase various arts and cultures of Nepal on the streets, which has made it easier for domestic and foreign tourists to understand Nepal,” said Bhattarai, outgoing chairman of REBAN. “Currently, this festival has been held only with the participation of the private sector. Moreover, to make it larger and more comprehensive, it is necessary for all three state bodies (federal, provincial and local levels) to play an equal role.”

He said that it is especially important to play a role in the operation of the tourism infrastructure built by the state and the completion of the construction of the tourism infrastructure that is under construction as soon as possible. Stating that the construction of a regional airport in Pokhara is a good thing in itself, former chairman of the Pokhara Tourism Council Gopi Bhattarai said that the state should emphasize on expanding direct air connectivity with cities in neighboring India, China and Bangladesh, even if it is by renting narrow-body aircraft from the state to operate the airport, which has such a huge investment.

Stating that the brain drain is a major problem in the tourism sector, tourism entrepreneurs in Pokhara say that there is a need for some policy-level arrangements from the state to stop the brain drain. “There is a shortage of skilled manpower in the tourism sector, to fill this shortage, it is necessary to move forward together with the private sector and the state to produce manpower and prevent their migration,” said Bhattarai, former chairman of the council. “Due to the lack of political stability, state policies also change from time to time, so there is a lack of an environment where investors can make investments if they are sure.”

The state also has the responsibility to protect taxpayers. He said that in the current situation of global economic recession, it is also the main responsibility of the state to protect established entrepreneurs, so it is necessary to arrange concessional loans in such a situation. Stating that Pokhara is becoming an important destination for adventure tourism in addition to its natural beauty, REBAN Pokhara Chairman Paudel said that the state needs to take initiatives in digital marketing that is suitable for the current times.

Nepal Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Deepak Raj Joshi said that the board will prioritize the use of digital media to promote Nepal globally in line with the changing situation. He said that the board will continue to focus its programs in the coming days for the identification and development of new destinations. CEO Joshi said that in order to benefit from tourism, it is necessary to pay special attention to regional tourism promotion. He stressed that it is necessary for all agencies to pay attention to expanding contact networks to make tourism dynamic. The 26th edition of the Pokhara Street Festival has been held in the tourism capital Pokhara with the aim of promoting domestic and foreign tourism. REBAN Pokhara organized the festival on the occasion of the English New Year. The festival, which will run until December 17, is said to make off-season tourism dynamic and contribute to the economy.

Organized with the slogan ‘Eat on the road, enjoy on the road’, the festival showcased various cultural programs and original costumes. The festival included activities such as national and international food demonstrations, a duet competition, a tableau performance, and night concerts. “The street festival has become the ‘brand’ of Pokhara.” Sangharsh Bista, central president of REBAN, expressed his belief that the street festival would help promote domestic tourism as well as extend the stay of foreign tourists. He said that the festival has also helped promote Nepali products in local tourism and reach the global market.

Street dance 

Pokhara Tourism Council Chairman Taranath Police said that the arrival of domestic and foreign tourists in Pokhara has increased due to the festival. He said that if political stability, policy reforms and effective operation of infrastructure are implemented, tourism development will be supported. Pokhara Street Festival has been the biggest festival in the country. This festival has been instrumental in attracting domestic and foreign tourists to Pokhara. Last year alone, 500,000 domestic and foreign tourists visited the street festival, according to Reban. There are around 800 hotels registered in Pokhara, ranging from tourist level to five-star. Tourism entrepreneurs say that this infrastructure has the capacity to support 50,000 tourists. 40 percent of foreign tourists who descend from Kathmandu come to Pokhara.

According to the Nepal Tourism Board, 1 million 55 thousand 533 foreign tourists visited Nepal in the 11 months of 2024. In 2019, the highest number of foreign tourists visited Nepal so far, around 1.2 million. International festivals and competitions have made this year’s festival festive. For the first time, the International Hot Air Balloon Festival has been organized in Nepal. Commercial balloon companies from 20 countries are participating in the festival, which began in Pokhara on Sunday.

Similarly, with the aim of promoting Nepal’s tourism, the Nepal-China friendly Dragon Boat Race competition has started from Sunday. 20 groups, including 11 from Nepal, 8 from China, and one from Singapore, are participating in the second edition of the Dragon Boat Race.