:
Nepal: The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has started talks about operating ancient palaces as hotels under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
An NRA executive committee meeting has formed a panel to explore the possibilities. According to NRA secretary Sarbajit Prasad Mahato, the panel has been mandated to conduct a study and make necessary recommendations this week.
Mahato said the initiative could help boost tourism and have a positive impact on the country’s economy. The study committee will recommend ancient properties based on their location and other features and possibilities of renovation for commercial use without having any impact on their aesthetics.
The NRA plans to retrofit structures built in the Shah and Rana era. The move is also expected to help in efficient maintenance of such ancient structures. Apart from a few ancient buildings, which are home to hotels like Yak & Yeti, Hotel Shanker and a dining facility in Babar Mahal Revisited, most of the other edifices of that era have been occupied been by government offices and are described as being in “a sorry state”.
“People will get to be a part of history. Running them as hotels would go a long way in the preservation of such properties,” said NRA Spokesman Yam Lal Bhusal.
