Nepal, March 20 -- On March 17 last year, the government declared Pokhara as the country's tourist capital. When then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal made this announcement, not only the city of Pokhara but also the entire Gandaki Province's tourism sector was filled with great enthusiasm.

At a grand event held at the Barahi Ghat on the banks of Fewa Lake, then PM Dahal declared, "I announce Pokhara as Nepal's tourism capital, a unique confluence of natural, cultural, and adventurous areas." Business owners at that time expressed that their long-standing dream of having Pokhara declared as the tourism capital had come true.

One of the reasons for the excitement among business owners was the belief that, with the declaration of Pokha...