KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 1
The number of foreign tourists visiting Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a place of historical, archaeological, and religious value in the capital, has been rising.
The historical place listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site received 10,594 tourists from outside the SAARC region from mid-September to mid-October this year while those from the SAARC region stood at 3,178 during the same period, according to Kathmandu Metropolitan City's Hanuman Dhoka Conservation Programme.
During the period from mid-August to mid-September, 3,610 foreign tourists outside of SAARC region arrived in Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Area while 1,893 were from the SAARC region.
Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Area attracted 2,864 foreign tourists outside of SAARC region during mid-July to mid-August, while 1,399 tourists from SAARC region visited the place that features the nine-storey palace, monuments, open air museum, courtyards and quadrangles, temples and open public spaces, among others, built from the 15th to 20th century. The influx of foreign tourists has been increasing satisfactorily in the post-COVID pandemic period, according to Programme Chief Roshan Shakya.
The programme covers historical monuments in KMC's Wards 19, 20, 23 and 24. Foreign tourists outside of SAARC region have to pay Rs 1,000 as entry fee to this Area while Rs 150 is charged from tourists belonging to the SAARC region.
A version of this article appears in the print on November 2, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
