Arun Gyawali

Bhairahawa, March 26:

There is a steady increase in the number of foreign tourists entering the country through Belhiya transit point. According to the immigration office, Belhiya, 16 per cent more tourists crossed the border to Nepal from the transit point in 2004 as compared to earlier year. The Belhiya transit point is the one through which the most number of foreign tourists come to Nepal by land. In 2004, 47,789 visitors crossed the border into Nepal while in 2003 the number was 29,869. Immigration officer Khim Lal Bhandari said the number of tourist arrivals from the transit point last year was the highest in last five years. He informed in 2002, 26,438 tourists came to the country. In 2001, it was 35,936, while in 2000, it was 46,174. The immigration office said 42,835 tourists left the country through the Belhiya transit point. In 2003, it was 35,485. The office managed to collect Rs 2,80,56,979 as the visa charge last year. The office informed that most tourists coming to Nepal are form Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, South Korea, Japan, Israel, America and UK among 71 other countries.