Lalitpur, February 5:

Lalitpur sub- Metropolitan City (LMC), Patan Museum (PM) and Summit Hotel Museum Cafe are introducing a joint package programme for tourists visiting Patan and the museum there in February.

A special ticket priced at Rs 650 is being designed for this package which will enable entrance to Patan, Patan Museum and offer lunch at the cafe inside the museum. The package will not only save tourists the hassle of pay entry fees at different spots, it will also be economical since tourists won’t have to pay Rs 200 museum entry fee, Rs 250 at booths to enter Patan and the charge for lunch.

Besides providng service, it aims to attract more tourists to the museum.

Many tourists visiting Patan city do not visit the musem. Patan Museum director, Bhim Nepal, said only 10,000 tourists visited the museum although 46,000 entered the Lalitpur sub-Metropolitan City and 0.21 million tourists came to the Valley in the year 2004-05. Nepal said, “It is designed to attract more tourists and increase revenue collection from entry fees in order to help in the museum’s operations and maintenance.”

“Keeping in view the current trend of package programmes for foreigners we have adopted this programme. Agents will do the marketing and offer the package programme to foreigners visiting Nepal. Hence, the tickets to PM will already be booked before their coming to Nepal,” said Ashok Shrestha, spokesperson for LMC.

However, the earlier rule of paying at different spots while entering Patan will be as it is for an individual foreigner, added Shrestha.