Sauraha Food Festival begins targeting Valentine's Day

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Feb. 12: The 18th Sauraha Food Festival kicked off in Sauraha, a tourist town of Chitwan, on Sunday. Member of the House of Representatives Hari Dahal inaugurated the five-day festival organised by the Restaurant and Bar Association of Nepal (REBAN) Sauraha amidst a function today.

The festival is being held here every year on the occasion of Valentine's Day to support Chitwan's tourism, according to the REBAN, Sauraha. Lawmaker Dahal said that the government had not paid attention to the development of tourism in  Sauraha.

He said that he had been trying for a year for the recognition of Sauraha's tourism as an industry and the establishment of an office of the Tourism Board. Former Minister and Provincial Assembly Member of Bagmati Province Krishna Prasad Khanal said that since the National Park Act has not been amended for a long time, a gap of mistrust has deepened between the CNP and the people.

Pralhad Sapkota, Mayor of Ratnanagar Municipality, said that Sauraha in Chitwan National Park, the third most touristic city in the country, has been affected by the National Park Act. Central Vice President of REBAN Sanghrasha Bista demanded the government should recognise the restaurant business as an 

industry as well.

President of the Regional Hotel Association of Sauraha Ganga Giri said that Sauraha's tourism was returning to its normalcy, and said that about 225,000 tourists entered Chitwan in the current fiscal year so far. President of REBAN, Sauraha Dhruba Giri said that festival was organised on the occasion of Valentine’s Day for the tourism development of Chitwan, 

including Sauraha

The festival has been made special by promoting food, music and culture together, he said, adding that the activities of the festival have been carried forward to bring the tourism of Sauraha back to the 

pre-COVID-19 situation.

Stating that Sauraha Food Festival has its glorious history, he said that the Food Festival, which is being organised to promote tourism in Chitwan including Sauraha, is contributing to the overall tourism development of the district.

General Secretary of REBAN, Sauraha Nabin Nepal, said that the festival was organised with the aim of identifying Sauraha as a tourist destination at the national and international levels, continuing the programme of the bright Sauraha, and beautifying the Sauraha tourist route with the income from the sale of entrance tickets.

It is expected that daily about 5,000 visitors will visit the five-day festival and generate business of Rs. 30 million. The festival running in the main market of Sauraha will continue until February 15, 2024.