BHARATPUR: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda is inaugurating Bharatpur Visit Year 2024 today.

According to Bharatpur Metropolitan Municipality, an estimated 50,000 attendees, including former prime ministers, heads of states, chief ministers, and parliamentarians, will gather to mark the occasion at the Narayani River bank in Chitwan.

The opening ceremony will also feature a showcase of Nepali singers.

The ceremony will include cultural tableaus and performances, providing a rich tapestry of Bharatpur’s heritage, according to Mayor of BMC, Renu Dahal.

Mayor Dahal emphasized the collaborative effort behind the event, with participation from ward chairpersons, schools, religious and caste communities, social organizations, civil society, and various castes, all contributing cultural tableaux.

To ensure the success of Bharatpur Visit Year, committees have been formed, including a 2024-member main ceremony committee, a 7-member steering committee, a 19-member performance committee, an advisory committee, and 30 sub-committees, all coordinated by Metropolitan Chief Dahal.

The primary objective of the Tourism Year is to showcase Bharatpur’s destinations nationally and internationally, increase tourist numbers and their length of stay, and foster economic prosperity through sustainable tourism development, according to Mayor Dahal.

Bishwa Subedi, a tourism expert in the metropolis, highlighted the 51 diverse programs planned throughout the year, led by private sectors and various organizations during Bharatpur Visit Year.

BMC has set ambitious targets, anticipating around 2 lakh foreign tourists and 5 lakh domestic tourists to visit Bharatpur in a year.

With the promotion of 22 tourist destinations, including seven heads of metropolitan cities, Bharatpur aims to position itself as an enticing destination.

City Chief Dahal expressed optimism, stating that the visit year will serve as a crucial milestone in discovering economic potential and creating an investment-friendly environment.

As many as 7,500 hotels in the metropolitan city and 15,000 beds from Sauraha to Gandakot are prepared to accommodate tourists, with hotels and restaurants offering discounts to enhance the visitor experience throughout the tourist year.