“Let’s Go to Sauraha” campaign brings tourists in hordes

CHITWAN: The “Let’s go to Sauraha” campaign launched before the new year to revive the COVID-19 impacted tourism sector of Chitwan district is slowly gaining momentum, as domestic tourists are gradually arriving in Sauraha in an impressive number.

Over 50 per cent of hotels in Sauraha remain occupied during the weekend while over 140 small and big hotels and around 50 restaurants in Sauraha sees 40 per cent occupancy during the working days lately, informed Regional Hotel Association Chitwan’s President Deepak Bhattarai.

The local tourism entrepreneurs had targeted major city areas in the Province No 2 and Bagmati Province for the campaign besides marketing it in Biratnagar and Dharan among other major cities in the Province No 1, shared Bhattarai.

The promotional campaign that was supported by the Tourism Board of the government of Nepal and local units as well as attractive discount scheme in services (20 to 40 per cent) offered by the hotels and restaurants managed to bring in encouraging number of domestic tourists in Sauraha.

According to Bhattarai, before the outbreak of COVID-19, mostly students were seen coming in Sauraha but lately people visit Sauraha as a couple or in a family to enjoy sight-seeing its rich flora and fauna and enchanting natural landscapes.

Most of the hotels and restaurants in Sauraha that were shut down after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic have begun their operation, informed the campaign coordinator Suman Ghimire.

Ghimire said that plans were afoot to launch the campaign nationwide. Restaurant and Bar Association Sauraha’s President Dipendra Khatiwada added that the arrival of tourists in Sauraha during the holidays remains higher while their arrival during the working days is also satisfactory.

Sauraha, situated close by Rapti River and the Chitwan National Park, is one of the major tourism destinations in the country that offers multitude of activities for the tourists such as jungle safari either in a jeep or on elephant, bird watching, canoe ride, elephant baths, sunrise and sunset viewing, boating and cultural events among others.