Had things been normal, trekking guide Hira Malla of Pokhara would at this moment be leading a group of Australian trekkers to Ghorepani–Poon Hill.

But the tourists who had booked the trip with her own company, Malla Sisters Women Adventure Guides, have now cancelled their plans.

Malla said that following the Gen Z protests, foreign trekkers have been cancelling bookings, citing safety concerns in Nepal.

“At the start of the tourist season, the protests sent a negative message,” she said. “Even tourists who want to come are not feeling assured.”

A group of 11 Australians, scheduled to begin the Ghorepani trek on September 21, cancelled their bookings. Similarly, a Canadian group that had planned to trek in the Manaslu region in mid-October has also backed out.

Trekking season in Pokhara begins in late August, with arrivals peaking in September and October.

The Annapurna region, with its short and long trails, is the mainstay of Pokhara’s tourism economy. But this year, the Gen Z movement has put a dent in the numbers.

“Tourism is such a sensitive sector that even small incidents have an impact,” Malla said. “Now, only the Nepal government can send a strong message that the country is safe.”

Krishna Acharya, president of the Gandaki chapter of the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN), said around 40 percent of trekkers who had booked trips to Pokhara have cancelled.

Although no tourists were harmed during the protests, images circulating on social media have created a perception that Nepal is unsafe. “After Covid, tourism was finally regaining momentum,” he said. “But arson at chain hotels and fires in the heart of Lakeside have sent the worst possible message.”

Trekking tourists travel with insurance, but at present, foreign insurance companies are reluctant to provide coverage for Nepal.

“Those that do are charging prohibitively high premiums, which has further driven cancellations and reduced new inquiries,” Acharya said.

“Tourists are consulting their embassies before making plans. With some countries issuing travel advisories, bookings are either being cancelled or put on hold,” he said.

Trekking is the lifeblood of Pokhara’s economy, sustaining hotels, restaurants, equipment shops, and businesses big and small.

But with cancellations mounting, the ripple effect is already visible.

Laxman Subedi, president of the Hotel Association Pokhara, said 20 to 25 percent of hotel reservations have been cancelled. Occupancy is extremely low at a time when bookings should have been at their peak.

“September bookings have collapsed. For October, new reservations are very limited,” he said. “Some tourists are cutting their trips short and leaving early, while the flow of Indian visitors has also dropped, leaving the market eerily quiet.”

Protesters attacked six hotels, resorts, and restaurants in Pokhara, causing losses estimated at nearly Rs30 billion, according to the hotel association. Before Covid, occupancy during the peak season reached as high as 98 percent.

“We were expecting this year to return to pre-Covid levels,” Subedi said. “But just like during the Maoist war, the people’s movements, the earthquake, the [Indian] blockade, and Covid, tourism has again taken a heavy blow. If protests continue, recovery will be difficult.”

He urged the government to quickly spread the message abroad that the protests lasted only two days and Nepal is now safe for visitors.

Mani Raj Lamichhane, head of the Nepal Tourism Board’s Pokhara office, said tourist arrivals in the lake city are already down 40 percent compared to the same period last year. The board estimates overall arrivals will be 10 to 15 percent lower this season.

“The burning of hotels like Hilton has sent a message that even international chain properties are not safe,” he said. “We need a strategy to spread positive content on social media to counter this.”

During the protests, however, a video of demonstrators welcoming a tourist bus had gone viral. Lamichhane said Nepal must now project the message that the country remains safe and is returning to normal.

In the last fiscal year 2024-25, the Annapurna Conservation Area received 278,113 tourists, 157,786 of them Indians.