Pokhara based tourism entrepreneurs say the average stay of Chinese and India tourist was two days whereas tourists from other market segment were found staying 4-5 days on an average. [break]
Tourism entrepreneurs said they believed the short duration of their stay was mainly due to limited activities. Vice-President of Paschimanchal Hotel Association Pokhara (PHAP) Bharat Raj Parajuli said that interest of Chinese and Indian tourist in adventure tourism like trekking, rafting, mountaineering was low. “On an average a European tourist stays for 4-5 nights as most of them participate in activities like hiking and trekking,” Parajuli said.
The entrepreneurs said Indian pilgrims coming for Muktinath Temple stayed for even lesser time in Pokhara. “Such tourists simply spend 1.5 days on average,” said he. However, tourists from other markets come to Nepal for long vacations and spend longer time in Pokhara.
Shraddha Shrestha of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) said most of the tourists from Europe participate in activities like paragliding, ultra light, rafting, hiking, trekking whereas Indian and Chinese were limiting their activities to city tour. “Two days are enough to complete the city tour in Pokhara,” added she.
The latest statistics of NTB showed the average stay of Indian tourist in Nepal was 8 days, Chinese 10 days and European 25 days. Most of the Indian tourists spent their time visiting Pokhara, Kathmandu and Chitwan.
Likewise, most of the Chinese choose Pokhara, Kathmandu, Chitwan and Lumbini.
President of Pokhara Tourism Council Tikaram Sapkota suggested that longer package including city seeing of neighboring tourist destinations could help to increase the length of stay.
According to NTB, 150,000 Indian and 62,000 Chinese tourists visited Pokhara during Nepal Tourism Year (NTY) 2011.
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