Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pandey inaugurated Ila Hotel constructed with Investment from IME Group

With investment from the IME Group, Ila Hotel and Resort has officially come into operation from Monday in Maulakali, Gaindakot Municipality–1, Nawalpur.

In a special event held today, Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pandey, formally inaugurated the hotel.

Speaking at the event, Minister Pandey said that the Maulakali Cable Car has been developed as a model of cultural preservation, development, and partnership. He emphasized that the Maulakali Cable Car and this tourism infrastructure represent an excellent example of collaboration between the private sector, the government, and local authorities in promoting cultural preservation, religious tourism, and job creation.

He mentioned that this model should be replicated in the development of other tourism infrastructures across different parts of the country. The minister also expressed confidence that ongoing policy issues in the sector would be addressed soon, as the culture, tourism, and aviation policies are being revised.

Addressing the event, Chandra Prasad Dhakal, President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of Maulakali Cable Car Ltd., noted that IME Group has invested in developing tourism infrastructure in the country and expressed readiness to invest further if a favorable environment is ensured.

“If the environment is right, the private sector can invest significantly and help in development, employment generation, and economic growth. That is our confidence,” he said. He urged local governments to compete in attracting investment into their regions by leveraging the private sector’s confidence.

He emphasized that creating an investment-friendly environment is the responsibility of all levels of government, and instead of merely appealing for investment verbally, governments should treat the private sector as a real development partner through concrete and practical policies.

“Verbal appeals alone are not enough; there must be meaningful facilitation through solid and practical policies treating the private sector as a true partner. All local governments must plan for long-term tourism infrastructure development. I want to reiterate that only through policy reforms and favorable arrangements can domestic and foreign investment be attracted.”

He stated that only by investing in tourism infrastructure can the country attract the targeted number of tourists. He added that such investments can yield immediate returns.

“If we invest in tourism infrastructure, we can increase the duration of tourist stays, earn more foreign currency, create more jobs, and raise more revenue. Compared to other service sectors, tourism generates more employment and contributes more to government revenue,” he said.

Chairman Dhakal concluded that this will certainly help uplift people’s living standards, reduce poverty, and bring the expected economic growth and prosperity to the nation.

“So once again, I say this: if all of this can be achieved with small policy arrangements and encouragement from the government, then why not do it? Since the government can receive returns without investment and enjoy the dividends of development, I have repeatedly referred to the government as a ‘no-investment partner.’ As the leader of the private sector in the entire country, I offer this request and suggestion to both federal and local governments,” he said.

Mayor of Gaindakot Municipality, Madan Bhakta Adhikari, expressed happiness over the development of large-scale tourism infrastructure in Gaindakot and stated that they are ready to encourage private sector investment.

Former Mayor of Gaindakot Municipality, Chhatra Raj Paudel, remarked that the development of tourism infrastructure has increased local economic activity and called for further attention from the state and private sector toward such developments.

Chairman of the Religious Service Committee of Maulakalika Temple, Shalikram Sapkota, said that the number of pilgrims visiting the temple has increased since the construction of the cable car. He also expressed hope that the operation of the hotel would further increase the number of pilgrims and devotees visiting the temple.

The newly inaugurated hotel, located at the upper station of the Maulakali Cable Car, features 65 rooms, including suites and deluxe rooms, along with facilities such as a banquet and conference hall with a capacity of 1,000 people, a restaurant, swimming pool, spa, and gym.

The state-of-the-art tourism infrastructure of Ila Hotel and Resort, developed alongside the cable car, is expected to help promote the historical significance and spiritual value of heritage sites in the region—such as Narayani, Devghat, Triveni, and others—among both domestic and international tourists.

IME Group is developing tourism infrastructure including cable cars, hotels, and resorts in all seven provinces of Nepal.

So far, cable cars are already operational in three provinces, and with the launch of this hotel, two provinces now have operational projects that include hotels. At Basantapur, the top station of the Lumbini Cable Car, hotel construction is underway. Similarly, in Kailali of the Far-Western region, the construction of a hotel, resort, and cable car is progressing simultaneously. The cable car there is expected to be operational within a year, followed shortly by the opening of the hotel and resort.

In Pathibhara, Taplejung, the cable car construction process is currently underway.

The hotel located at the upper station of the Maulakali Cable Car features 65 rooms including suite and deluxe options, as well as a banquet and conference hall for up to 1,000 people, a restaurant, swimming pool, spa, gym, and various other amenities.

IME Group believes that the state-of-the-art tourism infrastructure of Ila Hotel and Resort, developed alongside the cable car, will further help bring the historic significance and spiritual value of sacred and spiritual heritage sites such as Narayani, Devghat, and Triveni, as well as the region’s natural tourism attractions, to both domestic and international tourists.

IME Group is currently developing tourism infrastructure including cable cars, hotels, and resorts across all seven provinces of Nepal.

So far, cable cars have been constructed and are operational in three provinces, and with the operation of this hotel, projects including hotels are now running in two provinces.

In Basantapur, the top station of the Lumbini Cable Car, the hotel construction process is underway. Meanwhile, in Kailali of the Far-Western region, construction of a hotel, resort, and cable car is progressing simultaneously.

The cable car in Kailali is expected to be operational within a year, followed shortly by the operation of the hotel and resort.

Similarly, cable car construction is underway in Pathibhara, Taplejung.