Five-star hotels in Nepali capital Kathmandu and Pokhara city achieved a 61.63 percent occupancy rate in the Nepal Tourism Year - 2011 (NTY 2011), thanks to improved tourist arrivals.

Of the 641,670 room nights available in 10 five-star properties (eight in Kathmandu and two in Pokhara), 395,459 rooms were sold, according to the hotel occupancy rate indicator compiled for the first time by the Tourism Ministry in coordination with the Hotel Association of Nepal.

Nepal generally has two peak tourist seasons -- March-April in spring and October-November in autumn. And, the hotel occupancy figures also reflect the trend.

The five-star properties saw 85.96 percent and 77.43 percent room occupancy in November and October, respectively, last year.

The tourist arrivals figure showed 83,427 international visitors in the month of November and 96,970 in October. The lowest occupancy was recorded in January last year.

According to the Shangri-La Hotel in Kathmandu, it collected record high revenues, closing November transactions with over 96 percent occupancy. Similar is the case with the Hotel de l' Annapurna and Hotel Soaltee that recorded highest revenues in November.

The statistics showed strong occupancy in all Kathmandu-based five-star hotels, but the occupancy rate in two five-star properties in Pokhara, the major tourism city in the country, did not match expectations during the NTY 2011.

Kathmandu-based five-star properties registered 66.11 percent year-on-year growth in occupancy in 2011.

Their occupancy rate was the highest in November and October in autumn and February, March and April in spring. In October and November, the Pokhara hotels recorded 51.98 percent and 65.92 percent occupancy, respectively. The figure in February, March and April were 48.26 percent, 34.16 percent and 36.90 percent, respectively.

According to Saturday's eKantipur.com report, the hotels saw the lowest occupancy in July, January, and August with 27.96 percent, 31.68 percent and 31.04 percent, respectively.

As the country recorded the highest arrivals in November, October and April, the occupancy rate was also high in these months.