Bhaktapur lacks night time entertainment

Bhaktapur, June 11

Although Bhaktapur was declared the cultural capital of the country, only a few tourists stay overnight in the historical city.

“Tourists visit the historical sites during the day, but do not prefer to stay in the city in the night time,” said KP Awal, founder of Hotel Sweet Home in Bhaktapur. “This is because of lack of night time entertainment options.”

Bhaktapur is rich in its culture and traditions, which could be major attractions for tourists. “Tourists would prolong their stay in the city if we organise cultural programmes during the night time,” he said.

Laxmi Awal, chief of Bhaktapur Tourism Development Committee, said, “We have not been able to showcase our culture and traditions to tourists. We could use our traditional music and dance to entertain tourists.”

Only 25 percent tourists spend more than a day in the culture capital Bhaktapur, while the local authorities have not been able to give to boost to tourism due to lack of adequate budget.

“We are planning to organise cultural shows in the ancient sites every night so as to attract tourists. This would also create employment opportunities for the local youths,” said Laxmi Awal.