Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal inaugurating a program organized in Bandipur on Wednesday on the occasion of Visit Bandipur Year 2025. Photo: Full BK/RSS
Damauli (Tanahun), 1st January: Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal today inaugurated the Bandipur Visit Year 2025, organized with the objective of promoting tourism in the historic tourist town of Bandipur.
MP Bhagwati Neupane, Gandaki Provincial Assembly member Hari Bahadur Chuman, Ashok Kumar Shrestha and others were present. The Visit Year was organized with the aim of promoting tourism in Bandipur by doubling the current number of one lakh tourists annually, informed Surendra Thapa, chairman of the rural municipality.
During the Visit Nepal Year, a two-day package has been prepared to travel through Bandipur-Chhimkeshwari-Manakamana-Gorkha Temple-Ligligkot-Bhanu Birthplace and back to Bandipur.
Visit Nepal Year Coordinator and tourism entrepreneur Baisha Gurung said that the goal is to attract tourists who can afford to stay and spend. He said that 24 cultural programs, literary conferences, and adventure tourism activities will be organized in a year on the occasion of Visit Nepal Year.
It is stated that the objective of the Visit Year is to study and research the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Bandipur Bazaar, officially identify it, properly protect it, and manage it, thereby promoting mutual respect, goodwill, and brotherhood from the local community to the international level.
The rural municipality has listed Khadgadevi Temple, Thanimai Temple, Mahalaxmi Temple, Siddhagufa Mani Mukundasen Trek (Mini Great Wall), Tindhara, Waterfall and Water Fountain, Tundikhel, Mani Mukunda Sen Palace, and Padam Library as major destinations.
Houses built in the Bhaktapur style, places like Tundikhel, Thanimai, Tindhara, Raniban, Ramkot, Sunkhari, Khaddevi Temple, Vindhyavasini Temple, Mahalaxmi Temple, Information Center, etc. have become the center of attraction for tourists visiting here.
Number of hotels and restaurants reaches 142,233 in Nepal for tourists
The number of institutions offering residential and hospitality services, including hotels, lodges, resorts, homestays, guest houses, hostels, restaurants, and catering/party venues, has reached 142,233 in Nepal.
According to the National Hotel and Restaurant Survey report for the year 2080 BS(2023), issued by the National Statistics Office today, the highest number of such facilities are located in Bagmati Province, with 52,123 establishments, while Karnali Province has the fewest, with 7,110. Other provinces report the following numbers: Koshi Province – 25,887; Madhesh Province – 11,740; Gandaki Province – 16,976; Lumbini Province – 20,158; and Sudurpaschim Province – 8,228.
This survey, described as the first integrated national hotels and restaurants report, shows that 106,459 people are directly employed in this sector. Including unpaid family workers, the total number of people engaged in the industry is 387,747. The earlier Hotel and Lodge Survey conducted in 2060 BS only covered star hotels, resorts, and non-star hotels.
The report further reveals that employees in this sector collectively receive Rs 20.615 billion annually in salaries and benefits. With an operational cost of approximately Rs 216.738 billion, these establishments generate services valued at Rs 326.104 billion.
The sector has contributed about Rs 109.27 billion in added value to Nepal’s economy. Additionally, these facilities possess permanent assets worth Rs 543.258 billion, and 28.4% of them have secured loans from financial institutions. The hotels and lodges across Nepal have the capacity to accommodate 2.23 million people at one time.
