Pokhara, October 20:

Following a rise in tourist arrival, occupancy in hotels here have been running to their full capacity. They have also hiked charges by up to 50 per cent.

Govinda Raj Pahari, president of the Regional Hotel Association of Nepal (RHAN) Pokhara, said that rooms in most of the hotels were booked and they had hiked the charges by up to 50 per cent. Similarly, Fulbari Resort and Spa has hiked its room charges by 20 per cent. Bhim Dhakal, front office supervisor, said the hotel was packed to their fullest because of the pick season. The 165-room hotel has been almost packed with tourists.

This season, Pokhara has recorded the highest number of tourist arrival after the decade-long insurgency ended. However, the same is not the situation during the off-season. Entrepreneurs say during the peak season they also have to earn for the off-season so as to compensate the loss in off-season. September, October and November and March, April and May are considered as peak tourist season.

Another hotel entrepreneur and president of the Pokhara Tourism Council Bachchu Ram Tiwari said there was no consensus among the tourism entrepreneurs to hike room charges. While the full booking has brought smiles in the faces of hotel entrepreneurs, new visitors are finding it hard to get rooms. Even if they find room, the increased charge leaves them shocked. Many internal visitors had to seek accommodation in their relatives’ places.

Former president of the RHAN-Pokhara Laxmi Bahadur Bhattarai said the arrival of a large number of tourists has put the hotel entrepreneurs in high spirits.