Hotels and restaurants in Pokhara have announced special offers for passengers of the upcoming direct Dubai-Pokhara flight operated by Flydubai as tourism entrepreneurs look to tap into the potential market and promote the city through enhanced international air connectivity. Flydubai has been scheduled to start direct flights from Dubai to Pokhara International Airport from this Wednesday. Tourism entrepreneurs are hopeful that the direct international flight will help boost the number of international visitors and further expand the reach of Pokhara beyond the regional market.
Hotel Operators Offer 25 Percent Discount to Flydubai Passengers
The Hotel Association Pokhara has announced a 25 percent discount in participating hotels for the first three months of the direct service for Flydubai passengers. Hotel Association Pokhara President Laxman Subedi said that about 50 hotels have joined the promotional campaign and more are expected to join in the coming days. Some of the tourist-friendly hotels and several star-rated hotels in the valley have joined the initiative. According to Subedi, the hotel industry has decided to give a special offer to the international passengers arriving in Pokhara through the Dubai-Pokhara route.
A night’s accommodation and breakfast will be provided free of cost to the passengers of Flydubai’s inaugural evening flight in the participating hotels as a special offer to welcome the first international visitors. He said that the hotel industry has taken this decision to encourage the passengers to stay longer in the valley as well as to promote the hotel industry in Pokhara. The tourism entrepreneur said the hotel sector had announced this special offer for three months, while it would be reviewed and extended if possible based on the turnout of the international passengers and the overall popularity of the direct flight.
Pokhara Restaurants Provide Up to 20 Percent Discount to Flydubai Passengers
The Restaurant and Bar Association Nepal (REBAN) has also joined the promotional campaign offering 15 to 20 percent discounts at participating places to the passengers of Flydubai. REBAN Pokhara President Basanta Gautam said that visitors and passengers presenting their boarding passes at the participating restaurants would be entitled to the special offer.
According to Gautam, REBAN has included the restaurants in Pokhara in the special offer for the first three months, while it would be reviewed and extended considering the turnout and overall situation of the business. Tourism entrepreneurs feel that special offers from both hotel operators and restaurant owners will encourage international visitors to explore more and also promote the city as a premier tourist destination.
Former President of the Pokhara Tourism Council Pom Narayan Shrestha said other tourism-related business houses in Pokhara are also likely to come up with special offers for the passengers of Flydubai. Shrestha said the tourism entrepreneurs in the valley are contemplating on a unified tourism package with combined discounts from various business houses to promote the newly launched international service.
According to Shrestha, a unified application will also be launched to inform the tourists about the special offers and discounts being provided by different tourism-related business houses in Pokhara. The Pokhara Tourism Council, NATTA Gandaki and other related agencies have been working to promote the newly launched international service as well as encourage the tourism-related business houses to provide tourists with special offers and discounts.
Direct Connection to Dubai to Help Pokhara Access International Market
The newly launched direct international flight from Dubai to Pokhara will contribute to taking Pokhara’s tourism potential to a global platform. The route will provide the international visitors with more options in terms of connecting to Nepal from other international destinations as well as help in transporting the visitors to various international destinations through Dubai.
The Nepal Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has given permission to Flydubai to operate the Dubai-Pokhara-Dubai route from June 8. According to the flight schedule announced by Flydubai, the plane will arrive at Pokhara International Airport at 18:15 hours. The flight is scheduled to depart from Pokhara at 19:15 hours for Dubai. The flight will be operated daily, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) will be handling the departure and arrival of the aircraft.
Binod Singh Rawat, an information officer at Pokhara International Airport, said that Flydubai will operate its Boeing 737 and 737MAX aircraft for the route, with a capacity of carrying 138 to 189 passengers depending upon the plane. The route will also give more options to the regional tourism sector as well as the domestic airlines. Rawat said that through Flydubai’s extensive international network, the domestic airlines can connect various international destinations through Dubai.
Visitors traveling to different international destinations like Europe, Australia, the United States, and other international destinations can enjoy the convenience of direct flights to and from Pokhara via Dubai. For the tourism sector in Pokhara, the new direct international flight to Dubai will be more than just an opportunity to attract more international visitors. Pokhara can benefit from the increased international air connectivity by enhancing the provision of hotel, restaurant, travel services, adventure activities, transport facilities, and other allied tourism services.
Tourism Business Houses Call for Sustaining New International Route
Authorities and business houses have made several efforts to promote international air connectivity and attract more international visitors to Pokhara International Airport. According to tourism entrepreneurs in the valley, the new international air service to Dubai will be a major step towards establishing international air connectivity to Pokhara.
Authorities at the government level are also working to attract more international airlines to operate from Pokhara International Airport. The tourism sector has long been calling for international air connectivity, and entrepreneurs feel that the newly launched international service will open a new chapter for tourism in Pokhara. For now, tourism-related business houses have joined hands to promote the new international service and attract more visitors to the valley.
While the initial plan was to operate the Flydubai service between Pokhara and Dubai for a short term, the company has started accepting bookings up to March 26, 2027. The extended travel period has encouraged the local tourism-related business houses to prepare special offers and promotions for the international passengers. The combined efforts of hotel operators, restaurant owners, travel agencies, and tourism councils will help in maximizing the potential of the newly launched international route to encourage more visitors while providing more options for international air travel.
