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These days, tourists can be seen holidaying around Pokhara's popular tourist attractions, such as lakes, caves, wetlands, and the popular Annapurna region in increasing numbers. Their presence here has brought new hope for Pokhara's tourism industry, which has been struggling after the COVID pandemic. The latest data from the Annapurna Conservation Area Project, which maintains data on trekkers heading to the Annapurna region, show tourist numbers getting closer to the pre-COVID era. This is a promising sign for the tourism industry in Pokhara and suggests that the negative effects of the pandemic are on the wane. According to industry insiders, about 80 percent of tourists who visit Pokhara want to explore the region for purposes like trekking and study. The Annapurna Round Trek, Mardi Himal Trek, Muktinath-Mustang loop as well as the Machhapuchhre Base Camp, Annapurna Base Camp and Khumai Dada are some of the popular trails and destinations around Pokhara. "Since most of the tourist areas in and around Pokhara fall under the jurisdiction of the ACAP, our data offer a clear picture of Pokhara’s tourism industry,” Narendra Shrestha of ACAP Office in Pokhara said. According to Shrestha, ACAP has been working in coordination with local government bodies for promotion of tourism in the Annapurna region. Autumn and Spring are the main seasons for trekking activities in the region. The autumn begins in September and continues till December or January, whereas the spring begins in March and continues till May. ACAP data show that Pokhara welcomed 129,000 trekkers in 2022, a drastic decline compared to the year 2019 when the city recorded 181,000 trekkers, before the pandemic threw the global tourism industry out of gear. The numbers dropped even further to 18,796 in 2020 and 16,105 in 2021, respectively before bouncing back in 2023. In the first three months of 2023, approximately 33,000 foreign tourists visited different destinations within the region. Data show that around 23,692 visited the region in March alone, indicating that the spring may see a significant surge in the number of foreign tourists.   Tourist arrivals in March (past three years) 2022 - 12,000 2021 - 2,134 2020 - 6,735 Tourist arrivals in first three months of 2023 March - 23,693 February - 6,353 January - 3,457 Arrivals (First three months) of 2019 and 2023

Chandra Bahadur Gurung, a 68-year-old resident of Phedikhola in Syangja, served in the Gurkha Regiment of the British Army and has vivid memories of his time deployed in different countries. He reflects on the many Nepali youths who were deployed overseas and performed exceptionally well. However, despite their bravery, Gurung explains that the British government always received recognition for their accomplishments, while the soldiers themselves were not identified as individual warriors. This left a bitter feeling, which Gurung experienced for the first time while deployed in a war in Afghanistan where eleven Gorkha soldiers lost their lives. In honor of their performance, the regiment erected a memorial with inscriptions of the name of the departed soldiers. Many ex-Gorkha soldiers in the area share similar feelings. They say that the most bitter feeling for them is that nobody recognizes their Nepali origin. They realized the importance of nationality while fighting in political wars. But they say it hurts them when no one talks about their nationality despite showing bravery and winning wars. They recall many incidents of their treatment as subjects sold by one nation to another. These feelings are not unique to just one individual, but rather a shared sentiment among many ex-Gorkha soldiers in the area. According to Gorkha Army Ex-Serviceman Organization (GAESO), over 150,000 Nepalis, who were given the name 'Gorkhas', have died in wars across the world since the Sugauli Treaty. Of these, approximately 43,000 Gorkhas lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars. In order to formally honor their valor, retired soldiers have come together to establish a memorial at Salme Dada in Phedikhola Rural Municipality in Syangja. Ex-Gorkha soldiers also recall that their salaries were not equal to that of British soldiers, despite having the same tasks and responsibilities. Moreover, they were not allowed to call their families in Nepal while they were serving in different countries. Their facilities were comparable to those provided to Indian nationals during the colonial era for many decades. This disparity in treatment left many ex-Gorkha soldiers feeling undervalued and underappreciated, despite their unwavering commitment to serving the British flag. The problem of self-respect and discrimination regarding remuneration was finally addressed in 2008. The ex-servicemen in the Gorkha Regiment formed an organization named GAESO to fight for the issues of identity and equality. After almost one and a half decades of raising their voices for equality, their demands were finally addressed by the British government. However, they are worried that the Nepali government has never shown concern for them. They feel that Nepal has ignored ex-servicemen ever since the British started recruiting Nepal nationals for the British East India Company soon after the Sugauli Treaty in 1815. Many of the retired soldiers recall their days in the British Army. They say many soldiers who died in battle could not receive proper funeral from their family members because they did not receive information about their relatives’ death. This was due to the lack of proper diplomatic correspondence between the two countries. Also, the name of all individual Gorkhas would be changed in the regiment, which was another major reason why the correct information could not reach their homes. Dr Chandra Bahadur Gurung, founding general secretary of GAESO, said rituals will be organized at the memorial in Salme Dada to give due respect to all those souls who did not receive proper funerals. The memorial is being built to honor the departed souls of the Gorkha Army who sacrificed their lives for the British regiment in various wars. The monument will have the names of all the departed soldiers inscribed on its walls. The construction of the monument started in 2012 with the help of Nepal government with the purchase of 53 ropani land from the locals. During the foundation-laying ceremony, 21 maidens were worshiped with rituals from different traditions and cultures to pacify the departed souls. "This same ritual will be repeated every year in the name of the departed soldiers," Dr Gurung said. "We always pay tribute to Gorkha soldiers, who introduced the bravery of Nepali people to the world through their courageous performance," explained Puran Dhoj Gurung, one of the initiators of the memorial. According to Padam Bahadur Gurung, former chairperson of GAESO and founder chairperson of the Salme Dande Gorkha Memorial Construction Committee, the purpose of creating the memorial is to honor the departed souls of Gorkha soldiers and recognize their bravery by organizing different rituals in order to pacify their souls. The initiators of the project said they require approximately Rs 1.5bn to complete all the work at Salme Dada. To achieve this goal, they have already raised Rs 200m from the families of existing and ex-servicemen of the Gorkha regiment. They are also planning to seek financial aid from different countries, including the British Army if the government of Nepal continues to overlook their interests and efforts. "We are in constant contact with the local government for the allocation of resources," added Dr Gurung.

After a devastating plane crash near the Pokhara Airport in January, various assumptions were made about its cause raising serious safety concerns. In response, Pokhara International Airport Civil Aviation Office (PIA CAO) has taken various emergency measures to dispel those concerns and regain public confidence. Although the number of arrivals is still below the levels seen before the crash, officials at PIA CAO report that the numbers are gradually increasing. Their main focus at this time is to reassure people of their safety and security, as the crash was not caused by any safety issues at the airport. Bikram Gautam, the Chief of PIA CAO, emphasized that safety is the topmost priority for the airport administration, and they are taking all necessary measures to ensure it. He further stated that the airport is actively working to address any misconceptions about safety measures and to reassure the public of their safety while using the airport. The official investigation into the cause of the Yeti Air crash near the newly built international airport is still ongoing. While there is no denying that the incident has caused people to lose confidence in air travel, efforts are being made to restore public trust and increase the number of passengers. According to eyewitnesses, they did not hear any sound from the plane before the sudden blast, even though it was approaching very close to their homes. "Maybe the plane had an engine problem, otherwise we would have heard the sound when it approached our dwellings," Ramesh Khatri, a local resident of Hariyokharka in Pokhara-15, said. Ganesh Poudel, a local resident of Chauthe in Pokhara-14, speculated that the plane may have collided with birds crossing the runway, as he frequently sees birds approaching the airport. Some locals share this concern, while others believe that the airport's design is not suitable for the climatic conditions of the Pokhara valley. Before transitioning to the newly constructed international airport at Chauthe in Pokhara-14, the Pokhara Airport used to handle more than 2,500 passengers every day, which would double during the tourist season. However, this year the maximum number of passengers per day is limited to around 1500, even though the tourist season has already begun. “But this number cannot be considered low. Even in the initial stage of operation, the airport has succeeded in accommodating this number of passengers," said Yashoda Regmi, the spokesperson for the PIA CAO. On the other hand, tourism stakeholders say that they have experienced a loss of passengers in the two months following the crash. Hari Ram Adhikari, president of the Nepal Association of Tours and Travel Agents (NATTA) Gandaki Chapter, said almost 80 percent of clients had canceled their flights in the initial days after the crash. “Most of those who canceled their air tickets were Nepali people, while the impact on foreigners was minimal,” he said. "Foreigners did not seem fearful after the crash; they accepted it as an incident." According to Adhikari, the number of travelers choosing air travel is gradually increasing, not only because they are forgetting the accident day by day but also due to additional facilities and safety measures put in place by the airport administration. Pokhara International Airport is taking significant measures to restore people's confidence and make the approach slope free of birds. It recently installed a bird inspection device around the runway and also recruited a bird hunter. It has also installed a siren system that alerts officials if birds are on the runway. Likewise, the airport administration is collaborating with local bodies and stakeholders to clean up the rivers, lakes, and ponds in the Pokhara area. It has already sent request letters to all local government agencies in this regard. The airport management has been meeting frequently with local stakeholders to discuss ways to improve the Pokhara International Airport. "We are committed to conveying the reality to people first. Therefore, we are taking some additional measures that were not in our annual plan," Gautam said. According to airport officials, there are still many tasks to be completed before the airport can operate at full capacity. "Preparations are ongoing to make agreements with international airlines. Some airlines will be operating soon," Jagannath Niroula, the spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority Nepal (CAAN), said. Recently, the airport successfully completed a 60-day procedure for testing international standard mechanisms and has been enlisted in the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). It has recently started Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) and also begun night landing and take off. The airport officials claim that PIA is the first airport in the country to have a Distance Measuring Equipment and Instrument Landing System.

Studies on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic show that the tourism industry has faced a significant economic downturn. As it has nearly been two years since the pandemic began, businesses are showing some signs of recovery. However, tourism in Pokhara is still struggling to recover. Despite the efforts of tourism organizations, stakeholders, and professionals to revive their businesses, they currently find themselves in circumstances worse than before the covid outbreak. Businesspeople, who reported significant losses during the pandemic, feel they have been ignored by government authorities despite being one of the major taxpayers in Pokhara. Closure of many hotels, unfavorable monetary policies, and the loss of skilled employees to other professions have emerged as some of the major challenges in tourism revival in Pokhara. The city is known as the starting point for renowned trekking destinations in the Annapurna Region. Before the pandemic, nearly 1,600 guides and porters were employed by 165 trekking agencies to serve tourists. However, about 50 percent of them have left their jobs due to low pay during the pandemic. About a quarter of trekking agencies have also shut down due to the pandemic. Many have gone abroad for jobs, while some have shifted to agricultural works or started private businesses. Krishna Acharya, vice-president of the Trekking Agents Association of Nepal (TAAN), Gandaki Province, said it would be challenging to operate groups in trekking areas once tourists start coming. To recover from this problem, TAAN has initiated efforts to produce more trekking guides by providing training to newcomers. But these efforts have not been successful due to policy difficulties in technical education and vocational training, he added. As umbrella organizations of businesses, associations like TAAN are unable to manage resources for post-pandemic recovery programs. The reason is that they are already suffering from financial losses and dealing with their own private loans. Almost all tourism stakeholders in Pokhara are similarly unable to take action to recover from the pandemic on their own. The hotel industry is another key indicator of the post-pandemic tourism status of Pokhara. There were almost 1,500 hotels in the Pokhara valley, including the Lakeside area, about half of them registered. Approximately 20 percent of these hotels did not renew after the pandemic and were displaced from the business due to the pandemic-caused financial turmoil. Laxman Subedi, president of Western Regional Hotel Association, says more than half of the hotels in Pokhara are run using bank loans. “However, the monetary policy for loans has remained unchanged since the pandemic and interest rates have doubled. This is causing even established hotels to close.” About 60 percent of hotel employees have lost their jobs, while 30 percent have left the country for employment, stakeholders say. The hotel association too is planning to produce more skilled employees. “But there is a need to lobby hard for lowering bank rates first,” Subedi said. Hotel professionals have not been heard by the government despite frequent demands to make (issuance of) bank loans more convenient for tourism entrepreneurs, according to Subedi. Similarly, records at Nepal Association for Tours and Travel Agencies (NATTA) Gandaki Province show about 25 percent of travel agencies in the Pokhara valley have shut down due to the pandemic. The organization is currently seeking collaboration with government or non-government partners to develop innovative packages for domestic tourists. "The covid pandemic has taught us not to rely solely on the arrival of foreign tourists. That is why we are focusing on domestic tourists while preparing travel packages," Hari Ram Adhikari, president of NATTA Gandaki Province, said. On the other hand, the future of paragliding—one of the major pull factors in Pokhara—is becoming uncertain as operators struggle to find suitable ‘take-off’ points after the Pokhara International Airport started operation. The government has told paragliding operators to move to new locations for safety reasons. Madhav Tiwari, an established paragliding pilot and former secretary of Nepal Air Sports Association, said: "We have been asked to relocate take-off points to facilitate smooth operation of the airport. But they are asking us to do that using our own resources.”

A large number of young people gathered on the streets around Begnas Lake, the second largest lake in Pokhara, last month. They carried posters and chanted slogans, urging authorities to prioritize the development of the Begnas Lake area. Over 300 youths from the Lekhnath Municipality participated in the rally which ended with a picnic at the dam side. Every year, the local youths organize ‘Hamro Begnas, Ramro Begnas’ (Our Begnas, Beautiful Begnas) campaign to raise awareness and draw the authorities concerned for the development of the Begnas lake area. The campaign was started three years ago by young people from diverse backgrounds and has since become a prominent movement among local youths. During the event, the participants shared their grievances with the local government, stating that it has not shown enough concern for improving the livelihoods of local people by utilizing Begnas Lake. Nawaraj Ojha, the coordinator of the campaign, stated that they have come together not only to support the government but also to hold it accountable. Every year, when the new year starts, local youths gather to discuss ways for tourism promotion in the area. They regularly organize a picnic as a major platform for exploring the interests and priorities of local youth. During the picnic, participants share ideas on ways to utilize the lake and surrounding natural scenery for overall development. The youths collect the ideas shared during the picnic and make plans for tourism development. Despite facing procedural challenges as a non-registered organization, they aim to implement these plans not only in the Begnas Lake area but also in other lakes in Pokhara. Coordinator Ojha stated that they plan to complete the registration process by the end of the quarter, in order to move forward with implementing the planned programs. 'We have organized many programs in the past three years, but due to being a non-registered organization, we have encountered difficulties,' he said. “Despite these efforts, stakeholders have not taken any action,” Surendra Babu Tiwari, one of the initiators of the campaign and an assistant professor at Pokhara University. Tiwari stated that after collecting views and studying the potential for tourism development around Begnas Lake, the campaign has made presentations to local bodies and stakeholders. The members of the campaign want their region to become a highly popular tourist destination in Kaski. That is why they are advocating for quick action from local authorities to harness the beauty of Begnas Lake and its surrounding biodiversity. Among others, they want a ring road around the lake, preservation of indigenous species and plant life, and the development of income-generating agricultural activities in the villages surrounding the lake. Additionally, they are pushing for better infrastructure, including footpaths and smooth roads. To achieve these goals, over 200 young people have joined forces with the initiators of the campaign to form a formal organization to advocate for tourism promotion. The ‘Hamro Begnas, Ramro Begnas’ campaign has been a successful effort by local youths to raise awareness about the development and preservation of the Begnas Lake and its surrounding area. With the increased participation of local youths, the campaign is hopeful of bringing positive changes to the existing way of doing development work in the area.

Pokhara International Airport was recently inaugurated with fanfare.  There was a large turnout of locals and stakeholders. The event included a morning rally participated in by over 100 schools, community groups, women's groups, and other social organizations. Approximately 10,000 local people took part in the inauguration. The inauguration of the international airport was a significant event for the local community, as many residents shared pictures of the ceremony on social media. The event led to an increase in discussions and conversations in public places, as people hoped for new opportunities in tourism and overall development. People were optimistic that an inflow of more tourism will improve Pokhara’s economy. However, the joy was short-lived as a tragic plane crash near the airport caused a significant loss of lives. This incident raised many questions about the safety and utilization of air travel in Pokhara, turning the celebration into mourning. Earlier this week, an ATR 72-500 of Yeti Airlines crashed at Seti Gorge in Pokhara-15 while attempting to land. While the cause of the crash is still under investigation, it has led to local residents expressing their concerns about the safety and sustainability of the airport. Grief and sorrow have spread among the community as they come to terms with the tragic event. Geographically, Pokhara is a place with many gorges carved by the Seti River and it has been identified as a risk area for the cryosphere due to the effects of climate change. Additionally, recent years have seen an increase in business and urbanization in the area. Pokhara is also known for its high-income residents, such as the Sherpa, Thakali, and Lahure communities. Furthermore, Nepal Tourism Board reports that nearly 40% of all tourists in Nepal visit Pokhara every year, making air travel a popular choice among locals. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), Pokhara airport is the second busiest in the country after Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. The crash site is a place of mourning, as relatives of the victims search for the remains of their loved ones. The hospital where post-mortem examinations are being conducted is also a place of sorrow, as families from faraway districts wait for days to see and claim the bodies of their loved ones. The community is also in mourning as locals express their condolences on social media and take part in condolence rallies. About a quarter of the victims have been identified so far. DNA testing is underway at the hospital and relatives are waiting anxiously for news, keeping watch at the entry gate of the hospital ignoring their own needs for food and shelter. Many stakeholders have taken various decisions in response to the tragedy. Social organizations in Pokhara have published formal and informal condolences. Rupa Rural Municipality of Kaski, which is the hometown of the late Captain Kamal KC, has decided to construct a memorial park with a statue of the pilot. The municipality has also lit up its wards in memory of the victims and to express their condolences. "Maybe I will not travel by air until complete security is ensured," said Santosh Poudel, a resident of Pokhara-11, Fulbari, as he sat with friends discussing the recent plane crash. His sentiment was echoed by his friends, who also expressed doubts about the suitability of the aircraft for Pokhara.  Similarly, Shree Ram Kandel, a resident of Pokhara-31, shared that he had decided to choose to travel by tourist bus, even in case of emergencies. Laxmi Dhakal of Pokhara-10, Budhha Chowk shared that she never expected the joy of the airport's inauguration to turn into such a tragic event so quickly. Jamuna Sharma of Pokhara-6, Lakeside, expressed her worries about how she will manage her busy schedule as a social worker who frequently travels to different districts. She said that people have no other options but to travel by air as people are getting increasingly busy. "I am just praying that such accidents do not happen again," she said. Similarly, Sushil Bastola of Pokhara-30, Sishuwa, shared that he had abandoned his plans to go abroad after feeling excited about the international airport as a major path to development in Pokhara. He expressed his concerns about how the airport will handle such problems in the future. Local residents also speculate that the accident may have been caused by birds flying on the runway. Hemanta Dhakal, a resident of Pokhara-14, Chauthe, said that if the problem of the birds' habitat and the garbage dump near the airport is resolved completely, it could prevent such accidents from happening in the future. Tourism stakeholders in the lake city underline the need to change the public perception and make flying safe but are still unsure about what mechanisms need to be put in place. However, they are hopeful that people will soon forget this tragic crash. "Accidents happen not only in air travel, so it should not be an issue. Instead, collective efforts to solve the problems are needed," Pom Narayan Shrestha, Chairperson of the Pokhara Tourism Council, said.

In its attempt to make the Lake City cleaner, Pokhara Metropolitan Office plans to set up public toilets in a number of places within the city. As part of efforts to implement the declaration of an open defecation-free area, the city authority is immediately constructing a large-scopes public toilet at Mahendrapool, a central market, with the main aim of catering to tourists. Business houses and a few social organizations in the city have been allowing tourists to use their restrooms, in accordance with a decision reached at a meeting of the metropolis’ executive committee last June. Some years back, Kaski was declared open defecation-free, becoming Nepal’s first district to earn the badge. Since then, the city has felt the need to set up public restrooms. “Now we are going to implement the declaration,” Mayor of Pokhara, Dhana Raj Aacharya, said. Till now, there are only 60 small restrooms available for use. This has been made possible in collaboration with private business organizations. “But these facilities are not enough for the tourist hub.” Non-Resident Nepali Association ( NRNA ) is making 60 percent of the Rs 10m investment required to build a well-facilitated public restroom that can cater to a large number of visitors, while the metropolis will foot the rest of the cost. The metropolitan authorities plan to start construction work immediately and complete it within three months. An agreement to build a well-facilitated public restroom has already been signed. Ward-9 office of the metropolis plans to develop an international flag park and a public coffee house close to the restroom at Mahendrapool. The flag park will sport flags of United Nations member-states. The coffee house will offer a taste of local agricultural produce. Ward-9 Chair Dipendra Marsani expressed hope that the new infrastructure will bring in more tourists and contribute positively to the livelihoods of local people. The metropolis is moving ahead with the aim of developing Pokhara as the national tourism capital by further sanitizing the local environment, Marsani said, describing the public restroom as a major need. Pokhara ward-9 office has just destroyed existing structures spread on almost a ropani of land at Mahendrapool by ignoring some local disputes. Pokhara is an area full of wetlands, lakes, rivers and forests teeming with indigenous plants and animals. “So, to protect the ecosystem, we need to keep it sanitized,”  Ward Chair Marsani said.

The people of Pokhara have been waiting for their city to be formally declared as the tourism capital of the country for nearly half a decade. Both the government and the people's representatives here desire rapid development in Pokhara through tourism, while tourism professionals hope to grow their businesses with the implementation of tourism-related projects in the area. Four years have passed since the Gandaki Province Government sent a request to the federal government, but there has been no response yet. It seems that these aspirations may remain just an imagination for a few more months or years. A study of facts upon which the provincial government and local bodies based their plan to make Pokhara a tourism hub shows no research has been conducted on this front yet. This raises concerns about the feasibility and sustainability of the plan. The talks of making Pokhara the tourism capital of the country have become a tool for people's representatives to convince the public of rapid development. People's representatives frequently mention it during formal ceremonies as a way to demonstrate their commitment to the community. However, the lack of study on the feasibility and sustainability of the plan raises questions about whether it is truly achievable. "We are preparing to declare Pokhara as the tourism capital of the country very soon, which will add significant value to your business as well," Mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City, Dhana Raj Aacharya, said during a program organized by hotel professionals at Begnas Lake a few days ago. In response to the curiosity of locals about how people's representatives plan to utilize the natural resources available in Pokhara, Mayor Acharya said that if Pokhara becomes a formal tourism hub, it will open the way for many more fast-tracked projects. However, in the absence of authentic research on the feasibility and sustainability of such a plan, it is unclear whether these projects will truly benefit the community. Other people's representatives also make similar statements when addressing tourism-related programs. The Chief Minister and other members of the province cabinet have also been saying the same. However, it is uncertain whether these statements are grounded in reality or simply empty promises. In 2019, the Office of the Chief Minister submitted a formal request to the federal cabinet for the declaration of Pokhara as the tourism capital of the country. However, the federal cabinet has not yet responded to this request. It is unclear when a decision might be made. At the end of 2021, the newly formed coalition government also passed a letter with the same purpose to the federal government. "The second request to declare Pokhara as the tourism capital of the country also remains unanswered," said Chief Minister of Gandaki Province Krishna Chandra Nepali. According to him, the declaration would greatly benefit the people of the area, not only by increasing the value of their property, but also by creating additional employment opportunities. Stakeholders argue that the natural heritage, trekking routes, and high mountain peaks found in Pokhara make it an ideal location for a tourism hub. "That is why the idea of making Pokhara a tourism capital was developed," said former minister for the Gandaki Province Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment Bikash Lamsal. According to Lamsal, the provincial government decided to make Pokhara the tourism capital of the country in 2019 after studying proposals from tourism-related organizations and listening to the experiences of tourism professionals. However, the plan was delayed due to the covid pandemic and the subsequent change in government. According to the Status Paper of Gandaki Province Policy and Planning Commission published in 2019, almost 40% of the total tourists visiting Nepal come to Pokhara. The average stay of tourists in Pokhara is typically three days, which the provincial government hopes to increase to at least one week. The data in the Status Paper was reportedly based on reports from tourism-related organizations and the experiences of tourism entrepreneurs. There is no authentic data on the number of tourists visiting Pokhara. This lack of local data raises concerns about the accuracy and reliability of the information used to support the plan to make Pokhara the tourism capital of the country. Lack of Data It is important to identify the volume of tourists as well as their interests in order to provide appropriate facilities and calculate the economic value of their visit. However, Pokhara's tourism has not yet been formally counted, as the city is still in the process of developing hotel standards and promoting local culture and cuisines. Both the province and local governments are relying on secondary sources for data on the potential of Pokhara as the country’s tourism capital. However, there is no staff or research dedicated to collecting data on the opportunities and facilities available to tourists in Pokhara. Until now, tourist data has been collected from three entry points and police checkpoints in Muglin, Galyang, and Pokhara Airport. The collection of data began in 2019 at the initiative of the provincial tourism ministry when the nation was preparing for the Visit Nepal Year 2020 tourism promotional campaign. However, the data collection relies on the oral inquiries of police personnel at the checkpoints and lacks authenticity, as there is no standardized method for identifying tourists. Tourists are only recorded if they are foreign and this information is obtained orally from bus drivers and conductors. Additionally, data on the number of tourists visiting Pokhara is also obtained from the counters of Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP). However, this data does not provide a complete picture as it only accounts for those coming for trekking purposes.