The number of Chinese and Indian tourists has surpassed those from other countries visiting the ancient town this year which has witnessed an annual increase of more than 20 per cent in tourist arrivals, said Damodar Suwal, Chief of the Bhaktapur Municipality Tourist Information Center, Khauma.[break]
Suwal said that until last year the Indian tourists used to outnumber those from other countries visiting Bhaktapur. But this year, the Chinese tourists have surpassed the Indian tourists, he added.
A total of two hundred and twelve thousand tourists had visited Bhaktapur in the Nepal Tourism Year 2011. Of this number, Indian tourists comprised 21 per cent and the Chinese tourists 15 per cent.
However, in 2012, the number of Chinese tourists surpassed that of the Indian tourists. Out of the total 257,000 tourists who visited Bhaktapur in 2012, fifty-four thousand were Chinese and 44,000 Indians. This means that the Chinese tourists comprise 21 per cent and the Indian 17 per cent of the total tourists visiting Bhaktapur in 2012.
The tourist arrival figures for the last nine months of the current fiscal year also show that Chinese tourists form the bulk of the tourists visiting Bhaktapur during that period.
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