February 7: Tourism entrepreneurs are excited due to the initiative to start of jeep safari from Nawalpur to Chitwan National Park (CNP).

Earlier, this service was only available to the buffer zones and community forests near the national park.

Dhaniram Gurau, a tourism entrepreneur from Kawasoti said that they are excited because the number of tourists will increase if the visitors who come for a jungle safari are given additional services of jeep safari in the park area with a boat ride in the Narayani River.

He said, “Earlier, jeep safari could go only upto the community forests located in the buffer zone, but now tourists can visit the park as well, so the number of tourists coming here has increased.”

Nawalpur Tourism Committee Chairman Phansram Mahato said that last year jeep safaris were stopped even in the community forests of the buffer zone, but now that the park has allowed safaris across Narayani. Tourism activities will now increase in the district.

“We are happy, this step will help to keep the tourism activities going,” he said. According to him, CNP gave permission to all hotels and businessmen on January 25 to enter the park from the Amaltari post of Nawalpur.

Earlier, only Hotel Temple Tiger and Tharu Village were allowed to take tourists to the park. Chief District Officer Krishna Prasad Lamsal said that since tourists will be able to travel to Gaindakhasa, Devital, Tiger Tops route and crocodile breeding center through Amaltari, there will be an increase in economic and tourist activities in this area.

Inaugurating the safari on Saturday, CDO Lamsal said that after the jeep safari starts inside the park from Nawalpur, the arrival of foreign tourists will also promote the local culture. The committee started a safari in the park amid an official program. Ten people will be allowed to enter the park in five jeeps per day from Nawalpur area. Hotel and tourism businesses will get permission on 'first-come-first-service' basis.