Pokhara, January 19:

Noting that curfew enforced in Pokhara had hit the tourism industry hard, tourism entrepreneurs have called on the government to either reduce curfew hours or alter the curfew timings.

A trekking guide, Basu Dev Parajuli, said the curfew had barred the tourists from savouring the beauty of Pokhara.

On the first day of curfew, most tourists were seen leaving restaurants even finishing their food. Curfew was enforced in Pokhara with effect from Tuesday between 9 pm and 4 am.

The curfew has affected employees of hotels and restaurants, who have to work odd hours, the most, tourism entrepreneurs said.

Shops, hotels, restaurants and other businesses have to be closed by 8 pm because of curfew, central vice-president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), Gangadhar Parajuli, said at a programme organised here today.

The curfew was enforced only because of the centre’s directives, he said, adding that local interests were not taken care of.

Terming the imposition of curfew in Pokhara a futile exercise, president of the FNJ Kaski chapter, Rabindra Bastola, said the curfew will affect the tourism sector.

Chairman of the Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Rajendra Kumar Lalchan, said the curfew had hit the tourism sector and other businesses hard.

Though the arrival of foreign tourists has gone down in Pokhara with the end of the tourist season, more and more domestic tourists were arriving here.

The Pokharelis, who had begun visiting the Lakeside, a major tourist destination, during weekends, have stopped visiting the spot following the imposition of the curfew.

The Gandaki zonal administrator, Kumar Bahadur Karki, said the curfew was enforced for the sake of security. He also complained that the media were not taking the role played by security personnel in maintaining law and order in Pokhara positively.