By Our Correspondent
Nepalgunj, Jan.1: Chief Minister of State-5 Shankar Pokharel Wednesday said that promotion of domestic tourism would help boost tourism industry in the country.
“It is necessary for the promotion of domestic tourism to attract more foreign tourists and increase their stay in the country. So, the State government is giving special priority for the promotion of domestic tourism,” Chief Minister Pokharel said while inaugurating the Elephant Safari at Khadgabar of Banke National Park on the occasion of Visit Nepal Year 2020.
He said that the State government had been working to develop tourist destinations and to increase the stay of tourists.
Stating that the government is celebrating the VNY 2020 targeting to increase the number of domestic tourists and double the arrival of the international tourists this year, he said that the VNY 2020 would be a milestone for the development of national tourism.
He said that the government opened up the Banke National Park to increase the inflow of foreign tourists, especially the Indian ones and domestic as well.
Chief Minister Pokharel said that the elephant safari and jeep safari could attract more tourists.
The Bengal tigers found in the national park could be attractions to the tourists, he said.
Stating that Banke has been ahead of other cities in hotel infrastructure development, he suggested the hotel entrepreneurs to link Nepalgunj to Rara, Jumla, Thakurdwar of Bardiya and Banke National Park by introducing package programmes to attract more Indian tourists.
He urged Nepalis to visit the nearest tourist destination with their family members to make the Visit Nepal Year campaign a success and contribute to the promotion of domestic tourism.
Chief of Banke National Park Pramod Bhattarai briefed him about the national park.