RANJHA, JULY 30

The hotel sector in Lumbini Province has provided direct employments to 60,000 people.

There are some 11,000 hotel entrepreneurs who have created jobs to such number of people, according to Bhaskar Kafle, a founding Chairman of the Hotel Entrepreneurs' Association in Lumbini Province. There are 12 districts in the province.

This sector has poured in some Rs 200 billion. 'Private sector has entirely invested some Rs 200 billion in hotel,' Kafle said, adding that the State incurs nearly Rs 400 million in revenue annually from this enterprise.

Kafle however said the entrepreneurs running the small and mid-scale hotels to star hotel were faring bad time owing to not having dynamic tourism in recent time. The State can mull some relief packages to the hotel industry for time being so that they would revive gradually.

Similarly, Chairman of the Hotel Entrepreneurs Federation in Lumbini Province, Mahendra Shrestha, viewed tourism promotion helps spur hotel business.

He informed that they were planning to name hotel rooms after heritage and culture. Shrestha also complained that State needs to provide positive atmosphere for the hotel and hospitality.

'Once the government brings policy friendly to hotel and tourism business, it would help spur these areas, thereby generating more jobs,' he believed, adding that they were drawing the attention of all three tiers of government to this regard.