Tourist arrivals increase in Bardiya National Park

BARDIYA, July 23:The number of tourists visiting Bardiya National Park, a tourist destination in West Terai, has increased. There is an increase in the number of tourists who come to see the biological diversity in the park, including tigers, gharials, and different species of birds.

Purushottam Wagle, conservation officer of the park, said that the tourism business here, which had shrunk after COVID-19, has shown some hope in the last few years. He informed me that there has been a significant increase in tourism revenue due to the increase in tourists in the park.

In the financial year 2079/80, 24,324 tourists including domestic, SAARC, and foreign tourists visited the park. As a result, Wagle informed that the park has an income of 22.2 million rupees. According to him, in the financial year 2080/81, 26,131 tourists, including natives, SAARC, and foreigners, have entered the park. Last year, the park earned 28.4 million rupees through tourism.

Officer Wagle said that with the increase in the number of tourists, the services provided by the park and the construction of tourist infrastructure have been emphasized. He informed me that Jungle route  construction, scaffold construction, and core area management for Jungle 'walk' and 'drive' have been done.

Along with the infrastructure within the park, initiatives have been started in accommodation management including hotels and homestays for tourist accommodation, Wagle said. With the increase in the number of domestic and foreign tourists in the tourist areas of the district, the tourism professionals and locals are happy.

'Foreign tourists are surprised to see the unique biodiversity here. There is no problem for tourists inside the park.  As there are more than 30 tourist hotels and homestays in the park area, there is no accommodation problem for tourists.

Wild animals such as tigers, various types of plants, endangered and rare animals, elephants, tigers, rhinoceros, different types of birds, aquatic animals, terrestrial animals, and amphibians can be seen in the park. Especially in the summer months, tourists have seen a lot of tigers. Now a herd of elephants can be seen in the park.