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Pokhara wears deserted look in peak tourist season

Lakeside area of Pokhara is wearing a deserted look in this peak tourist season.

Though many foreign tourists canceled their trips because of negative media coverage of April 25 earthquake and undeclared economic blockade by India, local tourism entrepreneurs were hopeful of getting domestic tourists during Dashain holiday. But many Nepalis stayed at home this Dashain because of fuel shortage emanating from the Indian blockade. Many hotels in the lake city remained empty during the Dashain holiday."Many people planning to visit Pokhara this Dashain canceled their trip because they couldn't get buses because of the fuel crisis," Dharma Panthi of Hotel Asia said.

Around 40 percent of tourist visiting Pokhara in this season are Nepalis.Indian blockade has hit local tourism entrepreneurs, who were expecting tourism to recover this season after the devastation caused by the earthquake, hard."Private vehicles aren't getting fuel. Tourists cannot travel in limited number of public buses which are always packed like sardines," said Panthi.

Because of shortage of liquefied petroleum (LP) gas as well as diesel and petrol, tourism entrepreneurs say they have not been able to provide proper service to few foreign tourists who are in Pokhara.

Fewa Lake, the prime attraction in Pokhara, is also seeing fewer tourists, according to boat entrepreneurs.

"Not only foreigners, even the number of Nepalis has dropped drastically," Mahendra Bhujel, a boat operator, said. "Around 700 boats were in use at this time last year. This year, we are using only around 100 boats and only a few of them are getting passengers."

Hari Sharma, promoter of Pokhara Village Resort, said only a few Nepalis traveled to Pokhara this Dashain because of fuel shortage.

source:republica,28 oct 2015