Hotels see a lift from NPL Season 3, says the Hotel Association

The NPL is helping Nepal's hotels, according to Binayak Shah, chair of the Hotel Association Nepal (HAN). He told Ratopati that dozens of players from other countries are staying in big hotels, and that the league is helping to promote Nepali cricket abroad.

All eight franchises are tied to major hotels, where players and coaches stay for long stretches. Ratopati also reported more spending on rooms, food and transport by supporters of the Sudurpaschim, Biratnagar, Lumbini and Chitwan franchises.

What the hotels want

Shah wants the NPL treated as a way to bring visitors in, not just as a cricket competition. His suggestions:

• Use the league to attract cricket fans from around South Asia.
• Link the upgraded Tribhuvan University ground, and the chance of hosting international tournaments there, to tourism.
• Have government bodies give clear information abroad on safety, because foreign tourists are asking whether Nepal is safe.
• Expand international flights. He said Nepal hasn't gained as much as expected from new routes, including flydubai's flights to Pokhara.

He said hotels can take 3.5 to 4 million tourists a year, but only around 1.1 to 1.2 million are coming.