CHITWAN: Nepal is a country that unabashedly boasts a huge influx of tourists who come here to witness pure nature and a lifestyle rich in culture. However, the massive Gorkha Earthquake of 2015 rattled the national tourism sector to such an extent that tourists changed their preferred months to visit here.

Chitwan National Park is one of the most preferential tourist destinations in Nepal. Its captivating natural beauty and pleasant environment attract domestic as well as international tourists alike. And they all visit Chitwan with the sole purpose of enjoyment.

The month of September to November is known as tourist season in Nepal. During these months of the year, one can witness an increase in tourist inflow.

However, the trend has changed after the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake as a greater flow of tourists can be seen during the month February to April.
Information Officer at the Chitwan National Park, Kasara, Nurendra Aryal, shared, “A total of 25,781 tourists were recorded during October-November in 2014, which is the highest number of tourist arrival in Chitwan as of yet. Among them, 18,778 were international tourists, 4,469 were domestic tourists and 534 were from SAARC countries”

According to Aryal, the total number of tourists visiting Chitwan in March-April, 2014 stood at 21,486, where 15,147 were international tourists, 4,228 from SAARC countries and 2,111 were domestic tourists.

However, the year 2015 saw tourists in decreasing order even during the tourist season. About the number of the tourist in the same year, Aryal informed, “As many as 12,147 tourists visited Chitwan in October-November, 2015. There were 7,290 international tourists, 4,228 internal tourists, 629 tourists from SAARC countries.”

A total of 11,316 international tourist, 4,475 domestic tourists and 1,667 from SAARC countries visited Chitwan in March-April 2016. Nevertheless, in October-November 2016, Chitwan saw the number of tourists increase, with a total 15,806 visitors. Among them, 10,242 were international tourists, 4,304 internal tourists and 1,261 were from SAARC countries, as per Aryal.

The inflow of international visitors from the year 2014 to 2016 seems to have fluctuated, while the number of domestic tourists stands constant. Though the massive earthquake rattled various parts of the country in 2015, nature lovers never ceased to take a break in Chitwan.

Though September to November used to be known as favorable months for tourists because of major festivals like Dashain and Tihar, the trend has shifted since 2016 as more visitors can be seen thronging Chitwan from February to April.

Moreover, Chinese tourists cover 60 percent of international visitors in Chitwan from February to April, whereas the number of tourists from other countries seems to remain constant throughout the year, as per Suman Ghimire, president of Regional Hotel Association, Chitwan.