KATHMANDU: The party-goers and tourists are up for a major treat this New Year with the prime tourist hub in the valley to remain open 24 hours a day. Thamel will now remain open 24 hours a day beginning from upcoming New Year’ Eve which falls on Thursday next week. The Thamel Tourism Development Council (TTDC) in collaboration with the District Administration Office, Kathmandu and Metropolitan Police Commissioner’s Office will keep the famous tourist hub open round the clock to serve the tourists with more facilities. Chairman of TTDC, Ram Sharan Thapaliya was quoted in Rastriya Samachar Samiti as saying that Thamel would be opened 24 hours as a settlement of the complaints from tourists that they had not found an environment for entertainment. However, Thapaliya asserted that the disco, bars and night clubs would remain opened until 4 am while hotels and restaurants would be opened until 2 am. The necessary arrangements have been formed concerning security of the tourists and businessmen while installation of CC cameras and solar bulbs in major streets of Thamel is being carried out rapidly, according to the Council. A data provided by the TTDC shows that about 4000 business centres including hotels, restaurants, travel agencies and cargoes comprise the total number of business operators in Thamel. It also shows that 80 per cent of the tourists in Nepal visit Thamel. The Council is also planning to organise special cultural programmes on the occasion of the New Year 2016. It has been planned to showcase 12 different cultural programmes from 6 pm to 8 pm and a programme featuring DJs from 9 pm to 12:30 am on New Year’s Eve.