COVID affects hotel businesses in Chitwan

Due to growing COVID cases, events booked for weddings, seminars, at hotels have been canceled in Chitwan. Although many programs are scheduled to take place in January, the programs have been canceled due to the rapid surge.

Madhav Duwadi, manager of Hotel Seven Star in Sauraha, said that all the 12 events at his hotel for the month of January have been canceled. He said the business was affected by the increase in infections. Duwadi, who is also the operator of Hotel Bestwood said that the number of domestic tourists is also declining.

The first and second waves of COVID-19 have caused great damage to the tourism business. Suman Ghimire, the operator of Jungle Safari Lodge Sauraha, said that the booked programs are getting canceled. "Of the four programs booked for January, two have been canceled," he said. He said that the program was being canceled after the district administration office issued a notice not to hold the program with more than 25 participants.

Ghimire, who is also the outgoing president of the regional hotel association, said, “There was new hope for the businessmen. Good business was expected in January and February. ” Sapna Village operator Dhruv Giri said bookings made by foreign tourists in January and February were canceled. His hotel was booked by 60 French tourists in two months. He says that the number of domestic tourists is low.

Hotel Nature Heritage operator Damodar Regmi's hotel has been booked for this month with six Indian groups and two seminars that were canceled. He said that although hopes were raised after the second wave of Coronavirus, the hoteliers were disappointed with the current situation Regmi said that the tourism sector would collapse if the situation prevailed.

Alike every other hotel, Hotel Jungle Villa in Patihani is facing the same problem. With bookings getting canceled, Host Ganesh Poudel said, "The programs are being canceled. How long will it be like this?"

Entrepreneurs have said that programs of big hotels and party palaces in Bharatpur are also being canceled. Madan Ghimire, managing director of Chitwan Midtown Resort in Bharatpur, said that although the bookings were good, they were waiting and watching. His hotel had been booked for three weddings and three events in January alone.

Tourists come to Sauraha, Patihani, Jagatpur, Meghauli, and Bharatpur, for weddings, fasts, seminars, and other programs. With the recent surge of COVID, bookings have started to get canceled. Covid infections have increased rapidly in the district.