सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Chitwan. In previous years, Sauraha used to be filled with tourists at this time. The occupancy of hotels was also good. But this time it was not like in the past. With the decrease in the number of Chinese tourists, the tourist activity here was affected. There are also no significant tourists from India and third countries like in the past.
Businessmen have said that the number of domestic tourists is also low. Chitwan Forest Resort operator Deepak Bhattarai says that while in previous years, 80 percent of Chinese tourists used to stay at his hotel at this time, this year it has not even reached 40 percent.
Says that he does not know why Chinese tourists did not come, he said that Nepalese have gone to new destinations. He said, ‘Domestic tourists have gone to destinations in the Himalayan region like Manang, Mustang, Rara, but fewer have come here.’ He says that even if new programs are not given in Sauraha, tourists who come here once will not want to come back.
Prakash Neupane, General Manager of Siddharth Bhilasa Vanvas, says that expensive Chinese tourists have not come to Sauraha. Quoting a group of Chinese tourists, he said, ‘This year, more Chinese tourists came to play Phagu in Kathmandu than Indians, but they did not come here.’
Gunaraj Thapaliya, General Secretary of the Regional Hotel Association Sauraha, says that the number of tourists coming to Sauraha has decreased by less than half compared to last year. Many tourists come here from the first week of Chaitra to Asar. This season is considered a good season by hoteliers in Sauraha.
Thapaliya estimates that the decrease in tourists is mainly due to the roads. He estimates that the condition of the Muglin-Naubise road, which is being expanded for tourists coming from Kathmandu, the Muglin-Pokhara road for tourists coming from Pokhara, and the Narayangadh-Butwal road for tourists coming from Bhairahawa, is not comfortable. Similarly, he says that the Mahakumbh Mela in India is also a reason for the decrease in tourists.
Suman Ghimire, owner of Jungle Safari Lodge, says that even though the Chinese have celebrated this year as ‘Visit Nepal Year’, fewer people have come to Nepal. He said that they have not been able to attract tourists by doing activities even in Nepal’s tourist destinations.
He said that they are hopeful that some tourists will increase after China’s Chengdu-Pokhara flight. Ghimire said, “Although we had high expectations from Chinese tourists in 2025, it did not happen.” Ghimire said that China and India are the main ones for promoting Nepal’s tourism.
Last year, at this time, an elephant used to take tourists around the forest three times a day. Dipendra Khatiwada, chairman of the United Elephant Operation Cooperative Society, which has been operating elephants, says that this number has now been halved. Khatiwada, who is also the former president of the Restaurant and Bar Association (REBAN), says that the business of restaurants is also not as expected.
Association president Ganga Giri says that when there are many Chinese tourists, hotels with a large number of Chinese tourists fill up and other tourists fill up other hotels, but this is not the case now. In previous years, five hundred Chinese tourists used to come to Sauraha every day at this time. He says that only one hundred and fifty to two hundred Chinese tourists have come this year.
Sauraha, which used to receive about one thousand Indian tourists a day, has now received only about one hundred and fifty. Giri said, ‘It is difficult to see more than a thousand third-country tourists coming to Sauraha this year.’
She said that during this season, up to 99 percent of the bookings were made. This year, there are only 35 to 40 percent tourists. She says that before the earthquake, Chinese tourists who used to come from the Tatopani checkpoint in their own vehicles were stopped because the road was not built.
Giri says that even though air travel is expensive, other tourists along with the Chinese have been affected. 60 percent of the tourists who have come now are Nepali. She said, ‘Sauraha is largely supported by domestic tourists.’ There are 148 hotels in Sauraha. Where there is a capacity to accommodate 7,200 tourists. According to Giri, there is an investment of more than Rs 400 billion in those hotels.
6,400 people have been directly employed. The number of people who have received indirect employment is more than 12,000. With the number of tourists decreasing every year, the condition of many hotels is critical. Giri said, ‘One large hotel has been auctioned by the bank, many others are in the auction stage.’
प्रतिक्रिया दिनुहोस्