CHITWAN: Chitwan National Park (CNP) has introduced an electronic ticketing system, allowing tourists to purchase entry tickets online and complete the admission process without visiting ticket counters in person.
In the initial phase, online ticketing is available for visitors entering the park through the Sauraha area. The service will be expanded to other entry points based on the results of the initial implementation.
Previously, tourists and tourism entrepreneurs had to visit ticket counters and pay in person to obtain entry tickets. The new system is expected to save time and make the ticketing process more convenient.
Chitwan Constituency No. 1 lawmaker Hari Dhakal, who chairs the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee, and the Park’s senior conservation officer, Dil Bahadur Purja Pun, jointly inaugurated the system on Thursday.
Purja Pun said the CNP administration had been working to introduce e-ticketing for a long time. The need for the system became more apparent after a similar service was introduced at Shivapuri National Park, he added.
“Between 70 and 75 percent of Chitwan National Park’s revenue comes from the Sauraha area, and a similar proportion of tourists enter the park through this area. Therefore, e-ticketing is essential here,” he said.
Under the new system, visitors can purchase tickets from home and complete the entry process online. The park will also publish a tutorial on its official Facebook page and website to guide users through the process, he added.
Lawmaker Dhakal said the system was introduced in Sauraha following sustained efforts by tourism entrepreneurs and his own initiatives. He said he had been pursuing the matter regularly over the past six months since beginning his second term in office.
“People may face some confusion when using new technology initially. However, those of us who use various mobile applications should not hesitate to use mobile banking and online services. This is the initial phase, and technical problems must be resolved to make the system more systematic and practical,” Dhakal said.
He stressed the importance of incorporating feedback from tourists and tourism entrepreneurs to improve the service. He also suggested including information about tourism entrepreneurs’ contributions and commitment to conservation in the ticketing system to encourage healthy competition.
Dhakal further said initiatives were underway to extend the validity of park entry tickets from the current one day to three days.
Entry points, fees and tourist numbers
Tourists can enter Chitwan National Park through several checkpoints, including Sauraha, Kasara, Ghatgain, Meghauli, Bankatta, Madi, Kujauli, Nawalparasi and Amaltari.
According to the CNP, 32 tourist jeeps operate from Sauraha, 22 from Kasara, 11 from Meghauli, eight from Amaltari and one from Madi. Visitors come to the park to observe wildlife, including one-horned rhinoceroses, leopards, bears, elephants and numerous bird species.
The CNP charges Nepali visitors Rs 150 per person per day, visitors from SAARC countries Rs 1,000 and other foreign nationals Rs 2,000. A tourist jeep entering the park is charged Rs 5,000 per entry.
To obtain an electronic ticket, visitors must enter the required personal details and complete the online process. A QR code is then generated, which visitors can present at the park entrance, according to the park administration.
In the last fiscal year, a total of 272,923 tourists visited Chitwan National Park and its buffer-zone community forests, up from 231,329 in the preceding fiscal year.
The park reported collecting Rs 276.339 crore in tourism revenue during the last fiscal year.
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