Nepalgunj, 23 February: There has been an appeal to increase investment in tourism infrastructure by identifying tourist destinations in Banke. Stakeholders made such an appeal at a workshop organized in Kohalpur on Saturday for ‘Opportunities and Strengthening of Local Tourism Entrepreneurs’.
Chief Conservation Officer of Banke National Park Birendra Prasad Kandel said that there is immense potential and opportunity for tourism promotion, adding that the park is a beauty for jungle walks, Churai hiking, rafting, and elephant safari tourism. He said that the district also has cultural and religious tourism and agricultural tourism, and that emphasis could be placed on ecotourism by encouraging the residents of the northern region to engage in agriculture.
Chief Conservation Officer Kandel requested tourism entrepreneurs to invest in jeeps for jungle safaris to take tourists to the forest, and informed that only 16 of the 80 ponds in the park have water as the Chure region is dry. Due to the lack of quality hotels and accommodation in the area around the park, domestic and foreign tourists are forced to come to Nepalgunj and Kohalpur areas.
Mahendra Multiple Campus Associate Professor Hari Subedi stressed the need for activities to create awareness about tourism potential, saying that although there is some tourism infrastructure, it is not sufficient. Pointing out that Banke also has forest parks for tourists who want to enjoy the natural and peaceful environment, he said that some tourist destinations have been identified and work has been done for their development.
Tourism entrepreneur Ashok Gaudel urged the government to boost additional tourism to promote local tourism, saying that a destination should be determined for that.
Former president of Nepalgunj Cycling Club, Shatish Niraula, stated that Banke is weak in terms of tourism and expressed the view that trekking in the Chure region in Gavar Valley can also be a tourist attraction. At the program, members of the House of Representatives, Surya Dhakal, members of the Lumbini Provincial Assembly, Basanti Adhikari and Krishna KC, and chairperson of the Environment and Rural Development Center, Banke, Dharma Rokaya, among others, said that everyone’s cooperation is necessary for the development of the tourism sector.
