CHITWAN, OCTOBER 8
Tourism activities in Sauraha are slowly picking up after a quiet Dashain period, offering renewed hope to hotel operators in the popular gateway to Chitwan National Park.
Resort owner Gunaraj Thapaliya said his Unique Wild Resort welcomed 30 international guests today - the largest group since the festive slowdown.
"We had only around five percent occupancy during Dashain, but it has now risen to about 30 percent," said Thapaliya, who also serves as vice-chair of the Regional Hotel Association.
Hotel Landmark operator and association chair Om Pandey said foreign tourist arrivals have increased since road conditions improved, though domestic visitors remain few. Jungle Safari Lodge's Suman Ghimire added that with Tihar approaching and the park safari fully open, both domestic and international arrivals are expected to rise.
Restaurant operator Dipendra Khatri noted that elephant safaris are also gaining traction again, after days of near silence during the festival.
(With input from RSS)
