Kathmandu, March 11

As haphazard construction of high-rise buildings in Thamel have ebbed away its aesthetic value, tourism entrepreneurs have stressed on the need for proper policies for conservation of the old identity of the popular tourist destination in Kathmandu.

To preserve the identity of Thamel as a ‘tourist hub’ of Nepal, local tourism entrepreneurs have initiated the process to develop ideas on ‘how to move ahead’.

Ignoring the Thamel Tourism Development Council (TTDC)’s proposal to develop Thamel as a heritage city, many developers continue to rampantly construct high-rise buildings in the locality, said Ram Sharan Thapaliya, president of TTDC.

TTDC has also proposed declaring Thamel as non-traffic zone, laying cobblestones on the roads, installing CCTV cameras, and properly organising the unmanaged wires of electricity, phones and cables to develop it as an attractive tourist destination.

Rajan Shakya, a young businessman who operates Kathmandu Guest House (KGH) in the hearth of Thamel, has developed it following the concept of ‘boutique hotel’. The garden of KGH spreads over six ropanis of land and is surrounded by old-fashioned buildings. KGH is an attractive property in Thamel, where the rates for rooms are higher than that of many five-star hotels in the Capital city.

Yet, high-end tourists continue to flock to KGH. “I believe it’s because of our attractive garden and the overall ambience due to old fashioned buildings around the premises,” Shakya said.

While many entrepreneurs only focus on modern amenities and best-class service, he believes the one sure way to attract new tourists and have old clients coming back is to offer them a unique experience. “And what could be more unique for foreigners than our cultural heritage?”

Speaking from his own experience, Shakya further said that sustainability of the tourism industry in Thamel depends entirely upon the tourism entrepreneurs thinking long and hard about what could be the best for the locality.

Thamel and tourism in Nepal are synonymous to each other. There are 3,800 entrepreneurs in Thamel who are associated with tourism business, namely hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, trekking agencies, cargo and curio shops, among others. The tourism business in Thamel is said to have generated direct employment for around 100,000 people.

Thamel has historical link with the hippie culture in Nepal. During the Rana regime, the Bahadur Bhawan (currently vice president’s office) was refurbished as Nepal’s first hotel — Royal Hotel.

Due to its legacy, some global hotel chains namely, Sheraton, Marriot and Starwood are set to debut in Thamel. When these hotels open their doors, the number of tourists in Thamel will surely rise and the popular tourist destination will be even more bustling. It is reported that around 80 per cent of the tourists arriving in the country visit Thamel at least once.

Bharat Basnet, another tourism entrepreneur built a four-storey heritage hotel in Thamel, Kantipur Temple House, in 1997. Back then, the government policy barred construction of buildings above four storeys. Established as a complete heritage hotel, Kantipur Temple House has also been luring high yield tourists.

“Due to inconsistency in policies and lack of proper regulations for specific locations like, tourist hubs, residential areas and commercial complexes, among others, we cannot expect much from the government for conservation of tourist destinations like Thamel,” Basnet said.

He stressed that tourism entrepreneurs themselves need to take the lead to develop a better Thamel and stop any kind of encroachment for the sustainability of the tourism sector in the country.