Despite being the peak tourist season and the ongoing “Pokhara Visit Year” campaign, hotels in Pokhara are experiencing lower-than-expected tourist numbers.

Currently, hotel occupancy in the city stands at just 40 percent, according to Laxman Subedi, Chairman of the Hotel Association Pokhara. Last year during the same period, occupancy rates had reached nearly 50 percent.

Subedi explained that tourists heading to Muktinath or trekking in the Annapurna region are bypassing Pokhara, reducing overnight stays in the city.

"Many trekking tourists and Indian visitors heading to Muktinath skip Pokhara altogether, heading directly to their destinations," Subedi said, adding, "With the Nepali New Year approaching, and school holidays starting, we expect a rise in domestic tourists."

Subedi noted that foreign tourist arrivals and overnight stays in Pokhara have remained lower than anticipated, causing concern among tourism entrepreneurs who have made significant investments in the hospitality sector.

To boost tourist numbers, the association is organizing the 20th Fewa New Year Festival to coincide with the Nepali New Year. Subedi expressed optimism that hotel occupancy could exceed 90 percent during the festival. Hotels will offer a 30 percent discount throughout the event.

Pokhara can accommodate up to 40,000 tourists daily, but current numbers hover around 20,000—only half the capacity needed to fill its more than 1,200 hotels.

While Indian tourists do visit Pokhara and nearby areas to escape the heat, around 40 percent of them continue directly to Muktinath, according to the Pokhara Tourism Council. Similarly, tourists from third countries use Pokhara mainly as a transit point for treks in the region.

Meanwhile, trekking activity is on the rise in the Annapurna region as the spring season begins. Krishna Prasad Acharya, President of the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN), Gandaki Chapter, said tourist numbers have noticeably increased with the arrival of the spring season.

"Trekking routes are busier now," he said. "After autumn, spring is the next big season for trekking in Nepal, and the trend is continuing this year."

Acharya highlighted popular destinations such as Annapurna Base Camp, Mardi Himal, Tilicho Lake, Ghodepani, and Muktinath as key attractions for both domestic and foreign trekkers. He also emphasized that Pokhara's declaration as Nepal’s tourism capital has increased interest in the region.

However, Acharya warned that some established trekking routes are at risk due to expanding road networks and called for sustainable alternatives.

According to the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), 244,450 foreign tourists visited the Annapurna region in 2024—an all-time high. Among them, 132,094 were from South Asian countries, and 111,951 from other nations.

This marks a steady recovery from the COVID-19 slump. Tourist arrivals dropped to just 16,105 in 2021 but rebounded to 129,733 in 2022 and 191,558 in 2023.

ACAP officials confirmed that tourism in the region has returned to pre-pandemic levels.