5 May 2020, Kathmandu
Hotels in Sauraha will not be reopened before Dashain. The hotels are remained closed due to the nationwide lockdown imposed by the government to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although small family-run hotels are operating, commercial hotels are planned to open only after six months.
According to Deepak Bhattarai, President of the Regional Hotel Association Sauraha, the businessmen have agreed to close the hotels so as not to incur additional expenses,
Bhattarai said, “Foreign tourists will not come immediately after the lockdown and even the locals do not travel much.”
He informed that the daily operation cost will be high after if the hotels are opened so they have decided to operate the hotels only after Dashain festival.
Former President of the association, Suman Ghimire said the period starting May to the end of August is the period when tourists rarely visit.
According to him, preparations have been made to open the hotels at the time of Dashain in hopes of facilitating domestic tourists.
