BANDIPUR: Once a festive season hotspot teeming with visitors, Bandipur is experiencing a sharp drop in tourist arrivals this Dashain–Tihar, leaving local businesses anxious about the future of its tourism revival campaign.
In previous years, the hilltop town bustled with more than a thousand visitors daily during Dashain, filling hotels and homestays to near full capacity. Even up until mid-Bhadra this year, occupancy hovered around 100 percent. But following the protests on September 8 and 9, tourism in Bandipur has slumped dramatically.
The decline comes at a critical time, as the municipality had declared 2025 as “Visit Bandipur Year” with an ambitious goal of doubling last year’s 200,000 visitors, which included 60,000 foreigners and 150,000 domestic travelers.
“Festivals like Dashain and Tihar are usually peak seasons for Bandipur, but this year’s protests have altered the situation entirely,” said Baish Bahadur Gurung, coordinator of the Visit Bandipur 2025 Secretariat. According to him, not only has tourist arrival failed to pick up, but advance bookings for the holiday season are now being cancelled. “Just when tourism was recovering after COVID-19, we’ve been hit with another setback,” he added.
Bandipur Rural Municipality had recently launched a major promotional event in Kathmandu to draw domestic and international tourists. Local entrepreneurs had hoped it would boost arrivals, but Gurung said the Gen Z protest changed the outlook almost overnight.
Municipality chairperson Surendra Thapa acknowledged the challenges, stressing the need to reassure visitors. “Despite the unrest in the country, Bandipur remains safe, and we are ready to welcome tourists,” he said. Thapa noted that daily arrivals, once above 1,000, have dropped to barely 100 in recent weeks. Road conditions, he added, may also be discouraging travelers.
To counter the decline, the municipality plans to highlight Bandipur’s safety and hospitality, with a special welcome program scheduled for World Tourism Day.
Bandipur, often referred to as a living museum, attracts visitors from across the globe, including Japan, China, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, France, the US, Germany, and neighboring India. Its heritage homes in Newar style, temples such as Khadgadevi, Thanimai, and Mahalaxmi, as well as natural attractions like Siddha Cave, waterfalls, Tundikhel, and hiking routes, remain key draws.
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