Hotel Association Nepal (HAN), the umbrella organization representing Nepal's hotel and hospitality industry, has formed a Bagmati Province Ad Hoc Committee to strengthen hospitality services and improve coordination in the province's major tourist destinations.
Speaking at the committee formation program, HAN Acting President Prabin Bahadur Pandey said the association is establishing provincial committees by prioritizing regions with high tourist arrivals. He stated that the initiative will help make hospitality services more organized, efficient, and accessible while contributing to Nepal's tourism growth and the national economy.
Pandey also emphasized the need to establish HAN regional offices in Kathmandu and Lalitpur to enhance institutional capacity and provide better support to hotel entrepreneurs. He added that the association has already begun discussions with the federal government to amend laws related to Nepal's hotel and hospitality sector.
Highlighting the issue of unregistered hotels, Pandey said many hospitality businesses continue to operate without proper licenses.
"Nearly 30 percent of tourists visiting Nepal are still staying in hotels that do not have the required legal licenses," he said, adding that legal recognition would improve service standards and help promote the facilities available to visitors.
He further announced that HAN plans to introduce a digital information platform featuring hotels affiliated with the association, enabling tourists to access reliable information about accommodation and hospitality services throughout Nepal.
HAN Legal Advisor Gandhi Pandit described the formation of the Bagmati Province Ad Hoc Committee as an important step toward restructuring the association in line with Nepal's federal system.
He said the hotel industry is one of Nepal's key sectors for investment, employment generation, and foreign exchange earnings but has yet to receive adequate recognition and support from the government.
Chairman of the newly formed Bagmati Province Ad Hoc Committee Ram Sundar Bakey said the committee would work to strengthen Nepal's tourism and hospitality industries while promoting quality service and better coordination among stakeholders.
Bagmati Province Ad Hoc Committee
- Chairman: Ram Sundar Bakey
- Vice Chairman: Netra Jung Thapa
- General Secretary: Shivraj Duwadi
- Treasurer: Lina Khadka
- Members: Sameer Lama, Rajaram Silwal, Binod Jirel
- Advisors: Ghanshyam Shrestha, Gyanendra Kumar Bista, Prem Kant Shrestha, Satyaram Suwal
