By Our Correspondent

Dhangadhi, Mar. 13: Influx of tourists is on the rise at Shuklaphanta National Park – one of the most popular destinations in Sudurpaschim Province.

With the onset of the travel season, the National Park has been recording increasing footfall even amidst the ongoing global pandemic. The park had closed its gates from March to October 17 last year. In the last five months since opening its doors to general public, the park administration has recorded a total number of 1,837 domestic and foreign tourists.

According to the park office, most of the visitors are from inside Nepal with the rest coming from the SAARC countries. Talking about statistics, Rabin Chaudhary, Assistant Conservation Officer of the National Park said, “So far, 1,053 males and 784 females have entered the park’s premises.”

More visitors have visited Shuklaphanta in the last five months of the current fiscal year alone than last year. As per Chaudhary, the number of tourists is estimated to increase in the next couple of months up to April.

Renowned for its lush green fields and herds of swamp deer, February to April is considered as the best time to explore the park.

More tourists were expected to visit Shuklaphanta last year as the Nepal Tourism Year, Visit 2020 was envisioned. However, the park was closed a month after the virus outbreak. Following the closure, the guides employed at the forest area were rendered jobless for almost seven months.
However, with subsiding pandemic fear nature guides like Kum Thakur are excited over the prospect of growing tourists.

“Thankfully, we are back again to our jobs. Hopefully, the tourist season will compensate the painful seven months of inactivity,” he added.
Prior to the pandemic limitations, only foreign visitors used to hire guides. But as Bishnu Paneru, another guide stationed at Shuklaphanta explained, guides have been made compulsory for everyone.

According to the nature guide Association, 25 more guides have been added this year in Shuklaphanta.