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Kathmandu Friday December 28, 2001 Paush 13, 2058.
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Recession-hit Dhulikhel eyes
local tourists
By Khagendra Bhandari
DHULIKHEL, Kavre, Dec 27 - Plagued by the
recession witnessed in the tourism industry of the nation lately, Dhulikhel is now banking
its hopes on local tourists to revive its past business.
The mountainous town, hardly an hour’s
drive from the capital was doing good business until a few months back. However, the town
could not keep aloof of the slump in the tourism sector, leading to near closure of more
than half a dozen hotels and resorts.
Hoteliers say that the main reason behind the
current downturn is decline in the flow of tourist into the country, especially after the
September 11 unprecedented attack in the United States that caused tourism globally to
slump. Furthermore, the situation in Nepal is aggravated by a feeling of insecurity
created by the Maoist insurgency and escalated by the recently declared state of
emergency.
Hoteliers now say that they are facing trouble
even in distributing salaries to their staff due to a downturn in their business. And
added to that is the burden of bank loan that is accumulating day by day. And they lament,
no solution seems near in sights.
Says Premkanta Shrestha, owner of Dhulikhel
Lodge Resort, "We have invested millions of rupees in the hotels and only with the
income from the local tourists will it be possible to service out debt. Presently, it is
very difficult to pay even the interest of the bank." He further says that
entrepreneurs are in dilemma whether or not to continue their business.
Due to low income of the hoteliers, even the
cultural programmes, major attraction for the tourists inside the hotel, have been closed.
Tourists also used to overstay due to the attraction of local Tamang culture of the region
and which used to generate a good earning for the hoteliers. "Those good earning days
are gone," says a frustrated hotelier.
And it is not just the hotels and resorts that
are reeling under pressure of the downturn in the tourism industry. Even the local tourist
guides are now going out of jobs. With the chances of increase in the inflow of foreign
tourists unlikely in the near future, they are now banking on hopes that in-country
tourists would make up for their lost business.
Entrepreneurs are expectantly awaiting the local
tourists. However, they are not sure that local tourists will come in respectable numbers
and contribute significantly in increasing their income levels.
Karna Nepali, Manager at Mirawel Resort, says
that the hotels are little expensive as they were built with to attract foreign tourists
and hence Nepali tourists hesitate to pay same amount of money.
Tourists, especially from Japan, USA, France and
Australia used to visit Dhulikhel during their trips to Nepal. However, their inflow
lately have gone down drastically not just in Dhulikhel, but in all Nepal.
Some hoteliers are optimistic that the tourism
industry in the region will prosper, once peace is restored in the nation. They are also
hopeful that the recent signing of a tourism pact between Nepal and China would rescue the
Nepali tourism industry.
Nepal had recently signed a tourism pact with
China to allow Chinese nationals to visit Nepal. China now recognises Nepal as one of its
outbound destinations. "We are optimistic that Chinese tourists will revive the
ailing tourism industry of Dhulikhel," says Bhim Shrestha, Supervisor at Himalayan
Sangrila Resort.
Dhulikhel and its surroundings is famous for a
panoramic view of the Himalayan range and peaks like Langtang, Dorje Lakpa, Chowa Bhamari,
Furbi Chyachu, among others. Similarly, neighbouring places with religious and
archaeological importance like Panauti, Namobuddha, Palanchok Bhagawati are also visited
frequently.
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