Hoteliers Report Heavy Losses from Recent Protests, Seek Government Relief

The Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) has said that nearly two dozen hotels across the country suffered extensive damage during this week’s mass protest.

In a statement, HAN cited preliminary assessments indicating that both domestic and international hotel brands in Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Butwal, Bhairahawa, Jhapa, Morang’s Biratnagar, Dhangadhi, Mahottari, and Dang’s Tulsipur were directly affected by vandalism, arson, and looting on September 9.

Damage to the Hilton Hotel in Kathmandu alone is estimated at more than Rs 8 billion, with the nationwide loss projected to exceed Rs 25 billion. HAN warned that member hotels cannot resume operations without major repairs or reconstruction, placing the livelihoods of more than 2,000 workers at risk during the festive season. The association added that hotels now closed may be unable to meet financial obligations to banks and other lenders.

Acknowledging the sacrifices made by young protesters—dozens of whom were killed and hundreds injured in the movement for good governance and fundamental change—HAN urged the government to immediately form a high-level judicial committee to investigate the violence, identify perpetrators, and ensure they provide appropriate compensation.

The association also called on the state to introduce a financial relief package to help repair and rebuild damaged properties, maintain investor confidence, and stabilize the economy so that Nepal’s tourism sector can advance in what HAN described as a “new era of transformation.”