The Hotel Association Nepal is organising the 17th Phewa New Year Festival in Pokhara.

Speaking at a press conference organised on Thursday, Laxman Subedi, president of Paschimanchal Hotel Association Pokhara, said that the festival is going to be organised under the slogan "Tourism, culture and food.”

The event is being organised to preserve Nepali culture and promote local food.

Subedi said that the two-day festival will be held on the main road from Fishtail Gate at Lakeside to Hallanchowk from April 13 to revive the tourism sector hit by the Covid-19. The festival will be spread across three kilometres of open street.

The event is finally happening after the last two editions were postponed due to the coronavirus.

The festival which used to fall on the english New Year is now being celebrated as part of the upcoming Nepali New Year.

Subedi said that the festival is expected to provide some relief to the tourism sector that was badly hit by the pandemic.

Binayak Shah, vice president of the Hotel Association Nepal, said that this kind of festival will have a positive impact on the international community and would inspire foreigners to visit Nepal as well as disseminate information that Nepal is a safe destination to visit.