MAHENDRANAGAR: Tourist arrivals at Shuklaphanta National Park in Kanchanpur, a major tourist destination in Sudurpaschim Province, have increased in recent weeks amid the festive season.
The number of domestic and international visitors has risen as people travel during the festival holidays, according to Bikram Chaudhary, a ranger at the national park.
Covering approximately 305 square kilometres, Shuklaphanta National Park is renowned for its vast grasslands and rich biodiversity. It is home to large herds of swamp deer, along with wildlife such as tigers and rhinoceroses, and a wide variety of bird species.
Chaudhary said 590 domestic and foreign tourists visited the park during a 13-day period following its reopening in the last week of October after the monsoon closure.
He said visitor numbers had increased as people from Kanchanpur, other parts of Sudurpaschim Province and across the country returned home for the festivals and took the opportunity to visit the park.
Of the visitors recorded since the park reopened, 560 were Nepali nationals, 23 were from South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries and seven were from other foreign countries, Chaudhary said.
According to the park office, the entry fee is Rs 100 per person for Nepali visitors, Rs 750 for visitors from SAARC countries and Rs 1,500 for other foreign nationals.
Chaudhary added that Nepalis living outside Kanchanpur for work or education also visit the park during holidays. The park authorities are making efforts to increase its visibility and promote tourism, he said.
Dinesh Malla, president of the Kanchanpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said tourist numbers had also increased at other popular destinations in the district.
These attractions include the four-lane concrete bridge over the Mahakali River, the suspension bridge, Bedkot Lake and Jhilmila Lake.
Malla also noted an increase in the number of Nepali visitors travelling through the Gaddachauki border crossing to Nainital and Kaichi Dham in India.
He stressed the need for concerned authorities to ensure adequate transportation, accommodation and security facilities for tourists visiting the region.
The rise in visitor numbers has raised hopes of a boost to tourism-related businesses in Kanchanpur during the festive season.
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