Chitwan National Park Welcomes Over 20,000 Tourists During Dashain

During this year's Dashain vacation, Chitwan National Park (CNP) welcomed over 20,000 tourists, as reported by officials. A total of 13,233 visitors were Nepali, and the park earned Rs18.54 million in revenue from these tourists. The CNP saw a rise in visitor numbers compared to past years. Ganesh Prasad Tiwari, CNP's Information Officer, shared that among the visitors, 779 were from SAARC countries and 6,048 were from other nations.

The majority of tourists entered the park through the Sauraha area. Approximately 18,000 visitors accessed CNP via Sauraha and took part in 404 jeep safaris. Additionally, nearly 1,100 individuals visited from the Kasara area. Some also entered from Madi, Amaltari, and Kujauli areas. Notably, there has been a significant surge in foreigners' visits to Sauraha recently, with hotels reporting an average of 1,500 foreigners per day.

Sauraha has seen hotel occupancy rates soar as high as 95%, and hotel reservations have already hit 75% for December. This increase is attributed to the rapid influx of foreign visitors following the Dashain festival.

Chitwan National Park, established in 1973 under the name Royal Chitwan National Park, holds the distinction of being Nepal's first national park. This natural sanctuary was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1984. Situated across 952.63 square kilometers in the subtropical Inner Terai lowlands of south-central Nepal, encompassing Nawalpur, Chitwan, Makwanpur, and Parsa Districts, it offers a haven for diverse wildlife and flora.