BHAKTAPUR, Jan 14: The number of foreign tourists visiting Bhaktapur has increased. The number of tourists entering Bhaktapur city has increased from Shrawan (mid-July to mid-August) to Paush (mid- December to mid-January) of last fiscal year.

According to the data provided by Bhaktapur Municipality, as many as 59,603 tourists from South Asian countries (non-SAARC) have reached Bhaktapur city from July 17, 2023 to January 7, 2024 of the current fiscal year. During this period, 54,763 SAARC and Chinese tourists have reached Bhaktapur.

It is recorded that a total of 114,366 tourists visited Bhaktapur during this period. Only 71,378 people visited Bhaktapur during the same period last year, marking an increase of 42,988 tourists in the same period last year. This is an increase of 60.23 percent.

The municipality has been collecting entry fees from tourists. According to the municipality, Rs 107.2 million has been collected from non-SAARC tourists in the period.

Also, Rs 27.3 million has been collected from SAARC and Chinese tourists. According to the municipality, a total of Rs 134.46 million has been earned from both of these, marking an increase of Rs 57.8 million in the same period compared to last year.

Bhaktapur Mayor Sunil Prajapati said that tourists entering the city is one of the internal sources of income for Bhaktapur city. Therefore, he says that the municipality is continuously working for the prosperity of the city by making Bhaktapur a tourist destination. Bhaktapur Municipality was the first in the country to collect entry fees from tourists. Only later did the Kathmandu Metropolitan City start collecting fees from tourists entering Basantpur.

To increase the number of tourists coming to Bhaktapur, the municipality will be honoring the organizations and individuals who have contributed to the development of the tourism industry in Bhaktapur on the occasion of the World Tourism Day.

 
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