Pokhara, Oct 30:  Thirty foreign tourists participated in the 13th Bhaitika celebration organised by the Western Regional Hotel Association, Pokhara here Tuesday on the occasion of the fifth day of Tihar festival.    
 On the occasion, girl students of Rainbow Children Home offered Tika to the participants at Lakeside-based Butterfly Child Care Center with the theme of "save culture, promote tourism".    
 As Association chair Bikal Tulachan said, the main objective of the celebration programme was to interlink culture and tourism and to promote both sectors.    
 Tika, Deusi Bhailo, and a cultural feast were a part of the celebration, which aims to enhance a mutual bond among foreign and domestic tourists and to promote the Nepali culture at home and abroad.    
Foreigners paid 15 US dollar each to participate in the festival.    
Festival organisers said they were seeing familiar faces in the festival since the recent years.    
The festival was a new experience for foreign tourists as well, festival coordinator Deepak Shrestha said.    
German national Thilo Jimny shared that it was his second time he participated in the festival and he enjoyed it a lot.    
The event was supported by Temple Tree Resort and Spa and Butterfly Foundation Nepal and promoted by the Nepal Tourism Board.