BAGLUNG: The number of tourists visiting Dhorpatan has increased significantly in recent years, with more than 37,000 tourists visiting the destination in the last fiscal year.
According to the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve Office, a total of 37,520 tourists visited Dhorpatan in fiscal year 2082/83, including 37,270 Nepali tourists.
The number of visitors stood at 23,692 in fiscal year 2081/82 and 15,573 in fiscal year 2080/81. Ranger Sagar Subedi said the number of tourists visiting Dhorpatan, Nepal’s only hunting reserve, has increased by around 13,000 in a single year.
He attributed the rise to the development of tourism infrastructure, increased publicity and the availability of better-managed hotels and homestays in the area.
The increase in tourist arrivals has also boosted revenue from entry fees. The reserve collected Rs 4,768,405 in tourist entry fees in fiscal year 2082/83, compared to Rs 3,121,500 in the previous fiscal year.
The reserve charges an entry fee of Rs 100 for Nepali tourists, Rs 1,500 for visitors from SAARC countries and Rs 3,000 for other foreign tourists, according to Subedi.
The reserve also collected Rs 10 million from stones, gravel and sand in fiscal year 2082/83, an increase of Rs 4.6 million compared to the previous fiscal year.
While foreign visitors traditionally travelled to Dhorpatan primarily for hunting, domestic tourists are increasingly visiting the area to explore Dhorpatan Valley, Nisheldhor, Dhorbarah Temple, Bukipatan and Jaljala.
Dhorpatan Valley lies at an altitude of around 2,900 metres above sea level, while Bukipatan is located at an elevation of more than 4,000 metres.
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