Biratnagar-Ilam, a major tourist destination in Koshi Province, continues to attract visitors with its natural beauty.

Tourists admire the breathtaking landscapes, especially the famous sunrise view from Shree Antu, a magnet for domestic and international travelers.

Shree Antu, a paradise for tourists, also attracts tourism entrepreneurs. Hundreds of investors in the tourism sector have established their livelihoods around this picturesque hill station.

However, this year, Shree Antu faced a major setback. After recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, this tourist area was hit hard by the “GenZ Movement' and further devastated by floods and landslides.

Bhakti Prasad Ghimire, who invested around Rs 100 million in his hotel business, said many bookings were canceled due to the protests.

His hotel, Hotel Hill Tower, is still under construction but had already started providing services to tourists. According to him, bookings worth Rs 2 million were canceled due to the movement.

Although institutions from India and other countries had booked the hotel for business-class events, they later sent cancellation emails citing the ongoing unrest.

Last year, his business turnover had reached Rs 6 million, but this year, it has dropped drastically to Rs 600,000.

Rudra Ghimire, Chairperson of the Shree Antu Tourism Entrepreneurs’ Association, said most Indian tourists have canceled their reservations.

“Due to floods and landslides, there has been a disruption in the electricity and water supply. We are struggling to provide food to the tourists who are already here. Some kitchens have collapsed, while in some guesthouses, landslides have entered the rooms. This has emerged as a long-term crisis for us,' Ghimire told Bizness News.

He mentioned that 93 businesses affiliated with the association and 65 homestays have been severely affected.

He fears that the disaster could send a message that Ilam is unsafe for tourists.

Between 1–4 October, heavy rainfall triggered floods and landslides that claimed 39 lives in Ilam alone.

Although the Mechi Highway has recently reopened, it will still take several days for internal roads to become operational.

The natural disaster in Ilam, the key tourism hub of eastern Nepal, has also impacted the Tourism Year campaign of Koshi Province.

At the Solti Westend Hotel in Itahari, bookings have also been cancelled. Hotel manager Nigam Khanal said that corporate events have been called off in large numbers following the Jengee protests.

He added that seven corporate and other international IAG programmes scheduled for September have been postponed, and not a single tourist has booked under the Koshi Tourism Year campaign so far.

The provincial government had announced the campaign with the goal of attracting one million tourists to Koshi Province during Tourism Year 2082, focusing on religious and adventure travellers, especially from India, Bangladesh, and Bhutan. However, the campaign has been controversial since its inception.

Amid the controversy, Tourism Secretary Bishal Ghimire was transferred, and even after two months, the provincial government has yet to appoint an acting secretary. The Tourism Ministry continues to function without a departmental head despite being in the middle of the tourism year.

Minister for Tourism, Forest and Environment Sadananda Mandal said that many of the ministry’s activities were affected after the secretary’s transfer.

‘The ministry has been operating without a secretary. Not even an acting one has been appointed. We are now in discussions with the government to bring in a new secretary. The ministry itself was damaged in a fire, leaving us uncertain about how to proceed,' he said.

Minister Mandal further admitted that although the tourism year has been announced, there remains confusion about how to actually bring tourists in.

‘Due to the protests, tourists are reluctant to visit, and the floods and landslides have caused significant damage to tourist sites. Further discussions are necessary to find a way forward,’ he said.