The newly opened Homestay had to close after Covid-19 hit tourism activities. Unable to entertain the tourists, the house was closed. Many of the homestays had to even stop the service for a very long time. Whereas, some of them kept only a few guests. Two years after the onset of the epidemic, the housing business remained unpleasant.
The houses that were open to support rural tourism were not able to move fully. The operator was worried about the futility of the investment. Grants given by the state were also wasted. As the epidemic draws to a close, tourism entrepreneurs, frustrated with the future of housing, now look a bit optimistic.
The infection of Covid-19 is declining slowly and the public life is normal. Tourism activities have started increasing. The positive effects of which are sure to be seen in the home business as well. Chham Bahadur Kaucha, the manager of 'Siddhathan Community House' in Galkot Municipality-10, Pandavakhani, said that they are eager to serve the guests. "It was not possible to do as expected due to Corona. Now that the situation has returned to normal, there is hope that tourists will come," he said. Entrepreneurs were hit when the epidemic started in the same year that the house came into operation. Business was sluggish for almost two years. There is housing service in seven homestays of Siddhathan.
It can accommodate up to 40 guests at a time. Family environment, local cuisine in food, original culture, lifestyle and trekking to the tourist destination are the attractions there. "In the kitchen, Dhindo, Ato and other village products are cooked. We also show culture like Salaijo and Zhaure to attract tourists," said Kaucha. Meat dishes also use local chicken and goat meat. After reaching Siddhathan, tourists can visit Ghumteko Lake, Panchdhara, Kavre village etc. From there, you can climb the hill in a two-and-a-half hour trek. Ghumte is one of the 100 most visited tourist destinations in Gandaki.
If the tourists want, they can also see the famous Sati Ghat of Pandavakhani, says the host. The Ministry of Tourism of Gandaki had also given a grant of Rs. 1 million for the construction of housing infrastructure. Siddhathan Gharbas can be reached by a 60 km motor journey from the district headquarters Baglung Bazaar. The Torikhola community house in Galkot is also a tourist hotspot. The homestay in Ward No. 2 Narethanti also became deserted during the epidemic.
Last month, the Gandaki Pradesh Committee of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) conducted a two-day journalism training there. At that time, active journalists from all over the district had gathered at Torikhola. Kumar, chairman of the board of directors of the housing board, is confident that tourists will enter the country once the situation is eased. "This is not always the case. After the opening of all the areas, the number of tourists will also increase. It will also benefit the villagers," he said. Eleven households in Torikhola provide housing services. It can accommodate up to 60 guests per night.
The welcome and hospitality of the Torikhola household is unique. The villagers wear white Akshata Tika and garland to the guests going to the group. They take the hymns to the community building and taste the 'sagun'. After receiving the welcome with original dance song in the community building premises, the guests are finally distributed in the house. 'Kodo's shel' in Sagun is a dish of bread, curd, maize, bhat, sinki, radish, pulses etc.
The Corona epidemic, which started at the end of the same year, had brought business to a standstill while tourists were being attracted to the house which came into operation in November, 2019. "The flow of tourists has started from time to time. Now the 'flow' is gradually increasing," said Chairman Pun. "We are ready to entertain the guests at full capacity. Initially only five houses had housing service but now it has reached 11 houses.
The hosts have created an environment for tourists to enjoy the originality and identity of the village. Torikhola is a Magar majority village with a total of 63 households. Torikhola is different from others in terms of local products, arts and culture. Household manager Sita Pun said that food items like corn flour, kodo dhindo and roti are made in the food.
Fish meat, vegetables, rhubarb, potatoes etc. produced in the village are cooked in the kitchen. According to the operator Pun, a tourist has to pay Rs. 1,200 for a night including food and lunch excluding beverages cost. The art and culture prevalent in the Magar community are also its attractions. Sorathi, kauda, thali dance, bhajan, jharya etc. attract tourists.
Gaighat Jharna, Niluwa, Shivadhuri, Galkot Durbar, Sahasradhara and other nearby tourist destinations can be reached from home. As it is close to Pushpalal Highway, it is easy to reach Torikhola. It can be reached by road 40 km from the district headquarters. Not only this, the operators of more than 30 houses in the district are hoping for revival of business.
Apart from hospitality, the houses in Baglung Municipality-10 Bhakunde have been opened in the last two to three years. After the year 2020 was declared as the year of visiting Nepal, the attraction of home business had increased at that time. Entrepreneurs were excited when the government started giving grants.
Chairman of the Baglung Tourism Development Committee Raju Khadka pointed out the need to make the house more efficient and tourism friendly from the managerial side. He said, "Entrepreneurs should increase their investment in housing infrastructure and promotion. The state should also provide facilities and facilities including subsidy to entrepreneurs."
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