Kathmandu, April 27

CG Holdings — a part of the Chaudhary Group — today announced plans to invest Rs five billion in the hospitality sector within the coming five years. The company acquired Tigerland Safari Resort and Lodge in Chitwan district recently to mark its entry in the hospitality sector.

A signing ceremony of the acquisition of Tigerland Safari Resort and Lodge was also held today.

“This acquisition is the beginning of our investment in the hospitality business in the country and we will escalate our commitment in the coming days,” said Arun Chaudhary, chairman and managing director of CG Holdings.

Tigerland Safari Resort and Lodge in Chitwan is a 35-cottage resort at Jagatpur of Chitwan, located on the edge of Chitwan National Park and close to the Rapti river. After acquiring the ownership, CG Holdings has informed that it will revamp the resort with traditional features while maintaining harmony with the environment and surroundings to attract high-end tourists.

As Chitwan is famous for its wildlife tourism, the Tigerland Safari Resort aims to promote and preserve wildlife tourism in the country, according to Chaudhary.

Spread over eight bighas of brush land, the lodge offers guests a great opportunity to view wildlife of Chitwan National Park, which has been serving as a wildlife destination for tourists since 1964 after the establishment of Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge there.

During the programme, CG Holdings also unveiled plans to develop altogether 490 rooms in five hotels and resorts that it plans to build within five years, including Tigerland.

Chaudhary informed the company has entered into a partnership with international hotel chain — Holiday Inn — and its five-star hotel is under construction in Jhamsikhel. The hotel, which will be managed by Holiday Inn, will house 200 rooms.

Similarly, CG Holdings has planned to operate a mid-range business hotel with 125 well appointed rooms at Tripureshwor and Wellness Retreat Centre with 50 cottages at Budhanilkantha of Kathmandu.

Moreover, CG Holdings has informed of its plans to develop a hotel in popular tourist destination Pokhara. CG Holdings has already acquired land to develop a hotel with 80 rooms in Sarangkot of Pokhara.

As the number of outbound travellers has been growing globally, inflow of tourists is expected to rise in Nepal in the future. Investment in the hospitality sector has been massively growing in recent times along with the end of the decade-long political transition in the country. “After the promulgation of the constitution, investors have become increasingly attracted towards tourism sector because this is a less politicised area,” said Chaudhary.

“Currently, the world tourism potential is $3 trillion, which is largely dominated by the products of cultural, wellness, eco-sustainable and adventure tourism and Nepal has tremendous potential to develop aforementioned tourism products.”

As the private sector has been raising investment in the hospitality sector, the government’s focus on tourism-related infrastructure development could be the icing on the cake, as per Chaudhary.