Key Takeaways:
- Hotel occupancy in Chitwan climbs to 50% during monsoon, up from usual 30%
- Two-day weekend policy credited with 25% rise in domestic tourist arrivals
- Indian and Chinese visitors also increasing, easing seasonal downturn
- Sauraha alone has 141 hotels; Chitwan destinations can host 10,000 tourists daily
- Chitwan National Park remains a major draw for wildlife safaris and canoe rides
Chitwan's tourism industry is witnessing an unexpected boost during the monsoon season, with hotel occupancy climbing to around 50 percent as the government's two-day weekend policy fuels a rise in domestic travel.
Tourism entrepreneurs said destinations including Sauraha, Patihani, Jagatpur and Meghauli have recorded higher visitor numbers than in previous monsoon seasons, with domestic tourists leading the growth. Arrivals of Indian and Chinese visitors have also increased, offering relief to businesses that typically face a seasonal downturn.
Mahesh Khanal, General Secretary of the Regional Hotel Association Chitwan, said monsoon occupancy, which usually hovers around 30 percent, has reached nearly 50 percent this year. He attributed the improvement largely to the introduction of two weekly public holidays, which has increased domestic tourist arrivals by about 25 percent compared to the same period last year.
Khanal added that school and college holidays have further encouraged domestic travel. While Indian tourist arrivals are also on the rise, he noted that poor road infrastructure continues to prevent the destination from reaching its full potential, with some prospective visitors opting for alternatives.
Tourism entrepreneurs said the monsoon market has strengthened significantly in recent years. Unlike in the past, when some hotels in Sauraha closed during the rainy season due to low demand, operators are now actively promoting monsoon tourism and keeping businesses open year-round.
Former Regional Hotel Association Chitwan president Suman Ghimire said the two-day weekend has directly benefited the sector. Although one of the two holidays generally attracts fewer visitors, he said the other consistently records strong domestic inflows. Ghimire added that tourism stakeholders in Kolkata recently informed him Nepal is emerging as an attractive destination for Indian travellers this year, citing India's foreign exchange conservation measures, reduced interest in some overseas destinations amid Middle East tensions, and tighter visa procedures for Thailand.
Former association president Deepak Bhattarai echoed the view, saying domestic tourist numbers have noticeably increased since the weekend policy was introduced.
The trend extends beyond Sauraha. Ganesh Poudel, operator of Hotel Jungle Villa in Patihani, also reported higher arrivals this year, citing the extended weekend as the key driver.
Sauraha currently has 141 hotels, while Patihani, Jagatpur and Meghauli also offer well-equipped accommodation facilities. Together, these destinations can host around 10,000 tourists per day.
Chitwan National Park and its buffer zone community forests remain among Nepal's most popular wildlife tourism destinations, attracting domestic and international visitors for jeep safaris, elephant safaris and canoe rides to observe one-horned rhinoceroses, Bengal tigers and other wildlife.
(With inputs from RSS)