December 10: Rara, a renowned tourist destination in Karnali Province, received over 4,500 visitors in the span of four months, from July 17 to November 16, 2023.

The latest figures provided by the Rara National Park reveal that among the total 4,611 tourists, 4,490 were domestic travelers, while 96 were foreign tourists, with 24 representing SAARC countries.

Jay Hari Dhital, the Information Officer at Rara National Park, said that during the festive Dashain-Tihar vacation, Rara witnessed a significant surge in domestic tourist arrivals, contributing to a revenue of Rs 1.2 million.

In comparison, the entire year of 2079 BS saw a total of 11,000 domestic tourists, including 26 from SAARC nations and 183 other foreigners visiting Nepal.

Rara National Park has implemented an entry fee system, charging Rs 100 per domestic tourist, Rs 1,500 for tourists from SAARC countries, and Rs 3,000 for other foreign visitors, according to Dhimal.

Approximately 75 percent of tourists reached Rara via air, while the remaining 25 percent opted for the land route. National park officials believe that Rara will lure more tourists if reliable and quality roads are made available. (RSS)