The various fairs and festivals to be held in Pokhara are expected to boost the local and national economy.

Three major fairs and festivals are being organized in Pokhara this Mangsir, Poush and Magh, which are believed to contribute to turnover worth crores of rupees and job creation.

The 34th National Industrial Trade Fair and 13th CAN Infotech are being organized at Nepal Manipal Hospital from 17 to 21 Mangsir, the 21st Lekhnath Festival from 3 to 14 Poush and the 14th Pokhara Festival from 29 Poush to 11 Magh. The main objective of all these three festivals is to market local products, motivate entrepreneurs and create jobs.

Last year's 20th Lekhnath Festival gave encouraging results, exceeding the organizers' targets. The turnover of more than 95 million rupees was done in the 13-day festival and more than 300,000 visitors visited the fair.

Januka Parajuli, president of the organizer Lekhnath Chamber of Commerce and Industry, says that the fair and festival can have a positive impact on the economy as the turnover and number of visitors exceeded the target last year. She said that the festival will market the products produced in this region, and exhibit and sell agricultural materials and products of women entrepreneurs.

Dhrubabu Bhattarai, the publicity coordinator of the 21st Lekhnath Festival to be held this year, said that organizing a fair festival in a difficult economic environment is a challenge in itself. 'Such festivals help to boost the morale of businessmen and the general public,' he said. 'The festival has been organized with the aim of facilitating supply management by making the national economy dynamic and making the market dynamic.' He said that the fair festival will help in the development of the local and national economy and will be used as a meeting place for the needs and fulfillment of buyers, sellers and consumers.

It is estimated that there will be an economic turnover of about 90 million rupees in this year's Lekhnath Festival to be held in Talchowk, Pokhara-27. The organizers expect more than 250,000 visitors to visit the fair, which will have 335 stalls. The festival is expected to generate an income of 9.5 million and save 1 million by cutting expenses. Bhattarai said that the savings will be spent on initiatives in new entrepreneurial production, entrepreneurship development, industrial sector construction and tourism promotion. The Lekhnath Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been organizing the fair, which started with an orange exhibition since 2058, as an annual Lekhnath Festival since 2061, refining it in line with the times.

Manipal Teaching Hospital has supported the National Industrial Trade Fair organized by the Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry this time. The 34th National Industrial Trade Fair and the 13th CAN Infotech to be held at the Pokhara Exhibition Center have been reduced to 5 days this time with the aim of making it a place for entrepreneurship development rather than entertainment, said Gokarna Karki, president of the association. ‘The aim of the fair is to identify, promote and publicize purely indigenous products and services in the market, promote tourism and trade in Pokhara, and establish direct relations between producers and consumers,’ he said.

He said that the fair will have an important contribution towards developing Pokhara as a city of education, health, tourism and agriculture. ‘The geographical location and climate of Pokhara are suitable for health tourism,’ he said, ‘This is proving that we can earn a lot of foreign exchange and create jobs.’

He said that the aim of including CAN Infotech, which has been organized by CAN Nepal Federation, Kaski for the past 13 years, in the fair is to showcase and sell the latest technology and devices that make daily life easier by various institutions related to the field of information technology.

Purushottam Kunwar, President of CAN Nepal Federation, Kaski, informed that the fair will include programs such as informing about the latest new technologies in the information technology sector and spreading awareness about cyber security.

The festival in Pokhara was initiated by the Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The association had organized the Pokhara Festival in 2042 BS. As a continuation of the festival, the association is currently organizing the National Industrial Trade Fair at the Pokhara Exhibition Center.

United Club Pokhara has already started preparations for the Pokhara Festival to be organized at Amarsingh Chaur.
All three fairs, including the 14th Pokhara Festival to be held from December 29 to January 11, will feature industrial and trade, handicraft, agriculture, flower, auto, information technology exhibitions, educational programs, cultural performances, folk singing competitions, comedy programs, food festivals, pop concerts and live band programs.