Tourist arrivals by land to increase by 20pc

Nepal Tourism Year 2011 Committee has expected around 20 per cent increment in the tourist arrivals by land.

“Last year around 500,000 Indian tourists visited Nepal by land and we are expecting an increment of 15 per cent to 20 per cent this year,” said a member of NTY 2011 working committee Dhurba Narayan Shrestha.

According to him, other than Indian tourists from Bhairahawa about 90,000 foreigners also entered Nepal till mid July. “Other than Indian tourist we also have Srilankan, Chinese, Japanese, Thai visitors, who visit Nepal mostly through the Bhairahawa point specially to visit Lumbini.”

“The tourist arrivals to Nepal by land without visa like Indian tourist is calculated according to number of tourist coaches and private vehicles entering through border,” he said, adding that the main reason behind increase in the number of tourist arrivals by land is a safe and secure environment for them. After a month we are also going to start one window system at the border points which will not only keep the record the number of tourists arriving by road but also allow special sticker for the tourist vehicles, he informed.

The NTY 2011 has targeted 300,000 Indian tourists this year.

“Now we have started promotion programmes in Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Raxual, Sitamadi and Sunauli and other places at the Nepal-India border,” he said.

The NTY 2011 the committee has done feasibility study of bordering cities. The study has been done at 10 different border points of Nepal, Shrestha said, adding that to facilitate the visitors Nepal Tourism Board along with private sector will develop a one window system at the border area. “We are planning to facilitate our visitors at border with Immigration, Custom, Transportation Office, Food court, Nepali Handicraft Exhibition Centre and other facilities required for tourist, when they reach the border points.”