Bhedetar crowded with Indian tourists

By Kabiraj Ghimire,Dhankuta, Jan. 2: Bhedetar in Dhankuta district was packed with Indian tourists during the New Year celebrations. Indian visitors began arriving from December 31, and the crowd swelled further on Thursday (January 1).

According to the Hotel Association Bhedetar, around 1,000 Indian tourists visited the area on Wednesday.  On Thursday, the first day of the New Year, more than 5,000 tourists entered Bhedetar, said association president Tumraj Limbu. 

Tourist pressure was particularly high at destinations such as Namaste Waterfall, Thumki and Namje. Most hotels in and around Bhedetar were fully occupied, said association secretary Ramesh Shrestha. To attract Indian visitors, Bhedetar also organised a food festival. 

He said promotion of the festival through Indian media may have contributed to the increase in tourist numbers, and the flow is expected to continue for about a week.

Tourism entrepreneurs said that although the number of Indian tourists had declined in Bhedetar since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a noticeable improvement this year. 

According to Jitendra Rai, chairperson of Sangurigadhi Rural Municipality, Indian tourists have also visited other destinations including Rajarani, Hile and Sidhuwa in Dhankuta, as well as Basantapur in Tehrathum. He said visitors have arrived from the Indian states such as Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim.