"Tourism is thriving once again. Hotels and lodges in Charikot are now almost reserved nowadays," said Sudarshan Karki, Charikot FNCCI's former president. He added that the flow of tourist to the town has been basically improved due to religious visits. "Apart from those attracted by scenic beauty of this place, famous Dolakha Bhimeshwor and Kalinchowk Bhagwati temples have drawn hundreds of visitors," Karki, who owns hotel in Charikot, said.According to Karki, the devastating earthquake on 25 April had affected the district for long followed by the economic blockade. "Though tourism businesses were affected by one after another factor, tourist activities in the district have started picking up recently. Presently the hotels are fully reserved every day, not just on Fridays and Saturdays," Karki added.
Dolakha Bhimeshwor and Kalinchowk Bhagwati temples are believed to fulfill devotees' wishes and a lot Hindus visit these holy sites on special occasions. Similarly, those who reach Charikot find it too beautiful to return without reaching out to Shailung for enjoying the natural beauty of the district.
Karki informed that over 10 renowned hotels had sustained serious damages during the earthquake. Even after so many months of the disaster, only few of them have been able to resume service, he said. "Due to the lack of sufficient hotels, it gets difficult to accommodate when there are too many visitors. Sometimes we even cancel pre booking," he informed. "Some hotels that were damaged during the earthquake are yet to resume services. And due to the lack of hotels to accommodate all the guests, sometimes we arrange stay for visitors in normal hotels even though they would readily pay for higher standard hotels," he added.
According to Madhu Kumar Karki, President of FNCCI, Jiri, tourism in Jiri is returning to normalcy. "We are receiving as many tourists as before the earthquake. Hotels have started receiving visitors and it seems that things are getting back to shape," he remarked. "Tourists here basically love their stay at Hatdanda and Lincoln market hotels," he added.
Karki informed that visitors to Jiri also visit Cherdung. Like in Charikot, hotels in Jiri also struggle to accommodate tourists if they come in large numbers. "There are many tourist sites in district that attract people. However, we need proper infrastructure for accommodating them and giving them good hospitality experience," Karki said.
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