Development of Hotel and Catering Industry in Nepal

It was only the five decades back that the hotel building concept has been started. The "Himalayan inn" and "The Paras Inn" was considered as the first hotel establish in Nepal in 1950 and 1951. The credit full goes to Mr. Nara Samsher Rana, for the first time invited foreign hotel expert Mr. Mandis for managing and training his staffs as well as hotel at his own palace, where staff college in currently operating . Despite the certain factors, the hotel remained closed after one years and Mr. Mandis joined to hotel show views, which was located at Lazimpat.

It was in 1954 A.D., Mr. Boritch Lissanevitch the Russian master chef was invited to organize a banquet party for the 160 royal invitees during the coronation of late King Mahendra Shah. Mr. Boritch was requested to stay in Nepal and help to promote and organize hotel and tourism industry by the king in the same year, first tourist standard hotel named "Hotel Royal" located at the Bahadur Bhawan, Kantipath, was introduced with the assistance of Mr. Boritch. by the year 1958, hotels like:- Coronation, Hotel Green View, Hotel Emporer, Hotel Panarama etc were established. The Hotel Royal got closed at 1960, and Mr. Boritch started a restaurant called "Yak & Yeti" at Lal Durbar, which later converted into "Hotel Yak & Yeti". in the year 1964, the first four star hotel of Nepal named "Hotel Shankar" , located at Lazimpat was established. In the same year after 9 months, "Hotel Del' Annapurna", located at the Durbar Marg has been established, which was the first five star hotel in Nepal where as "Hotel Soaltee"was the second hotel was the second five star hotel in Nepal, located at Tahachal, was introduced in the year 1966.

Realizing the organizational needs and the promotion of hotel, Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) has been established in 1967. In the year 1972, "Hotel Blue Star" has been established, located at Thapathali, Kathmandu. Slowly and gradually, with the increase in the number of tourists visiting Nepal has created a new dimension in the field of hotel industry. By the end of 2008, there were almost 9 five star hotels, more than 20 four star and three star hotels and more than 100s of tourist standard hotels, located inside and outside the valley.