KATHMANDU, MAY 31
Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) has expressed dissatisfaction over the budget announced for the upcoming fiscal year 2023-24 stating that the policies and programmes of the budget will fall short in solving the problems facing the hotel sector.
Issuing a statement, HAN has expressed concerns over the luxury tax imposed for neighbouring countries, and increased airfares for both domestic and international tourists, which will likely affect the arrival of tourists.
However, the association has supported the government's announcement to conduct international flights from Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) in Bhairahawa and Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA).
In order to achieve the priorities and objectives of the budget and to overcome the current economic crisis, the budget has adopted a policy of increas-ing the contribution of the tourism sector, development of various religious circuits, introducing new tourist destinations, film tourism, hill stations, improvement and reconstruction of heritage sites, among others.
"For the success of the budget, the government should also proactively move towards attracting domestic and foreign investment to increase the participation and morale of the private sector. It is unfair that the demand of the HAN, to recognise tourism as a priority industry, has been neglected by the budget," the statement further reads.
HAN has called for improvement in monitoring mechanisms, which could assist in the effective implementation of the budget.
HAN has also strongly demanded that the Monetary Policy of the next financial year be accommodative and take the current situation of Nepali hotels into consideration where they are unable to pay the loan principal and interest.
A version of this article appears in the print on June 1, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
