Chitwan, October 8

Entrepreneurs are excited as the number of tourists arriving in Sauraha, Chitwan, has gone up with the beginning of the tourist season.

Entrepreneurs said most hotels had been booked and bookings had also increased this year compared to previous years. They attributed the rising numbers to completion of the Narayangadh-Mugling road and political stability, among others.

Regional Hotel Association Sauraha Chairman Suman Ghimire said around 10 per cent more hotels were booked this year compared to past years. He was hopeful that around 80 per cent hotels would be booked this season.

“Around 50 per cent hotels have already been booked,” he added.

As many as 182,000 tourists visited Chitwan National Park in 2015. The number had decreased after the devastating earthquakes the same year. Ghimire expected around two lakh tourists to visit the park this year.

Proprietor of Seven Star Hotel Madhav Duwadi in Sauraha said 75 per cent of rooms in his hotel had been booked.

Manager Santosh Giri at Hotel Jungle Crown Sauraha predicted an increase of around 30 per cent tourists compared to the last year.

There are 150 hotels in the district. As many as 110 hotels are capable of accommodating 5,500 tourists in Sauraha.