There has been a significant decline in the number of tourists visiting Chitwan National Park. Compared to the last fiscal year (FY 2080/81) in the month of Chaitra, the current fiscal year (FY 2081/82) saw a 37% drop in tourists visiting the park by the end of Chaitra.
Tourists in Chitwan National Park
According to the park, by the end of Chaitra in the last fiscal year, 250,367 domestic and foreign tourists had visited the park. However, by the end of Chaitra this year, only 182,227 visitors visited, as informed by the Chief Conservation Officer Dr. Ganesh Pant. Of the total tourists, 92,890 were Nepalese, 16,798 were from the SAARC countries, and 72,539 were from third countries. They traveled in 6,783 vehicles. The number of male visitors was 50,100 and female tourists was 42,790 from Nepal.
In the previous year, by the end of Chaitra, 150,000 Nepalese, 23,638 SAARC nationals, and 75,944 tourists from third countries visited the park. Dr. Pant emphasized that the park is not focused on increasing the crowd but on maintaining quality tourism. He acknowledged that with fewer visitors and safari vehicles, both the number of visitors and revenue had decreased. However, he emphasized the importance of focusing on quality visitors.
The decline in tourists is also attributed to factors like the late reopening of safari vehicles last year and flooding in September, which affected the number of visitors. While 150,000 Nepalese visited last year, only 92,000 visited this year by the end of Chaitra.
Tourists mainly visit to see rare wildlife like tigers and rhinos, take boat rides on the Rapti River, and experience Tharu culture. Visitors also travel within the park using elephants, jeeps, on foot, or by boat. Due to the decrease in visitors numbers, the park has also seen a drop in revenue. Last year, by the end of Chaitra, the park collected NPR 282.6 million in revenue, while in the current year, it has only collected NPR 236.5 million by the same time. In the remaining three months of the fiscal year, it seems difficult for the park to meet its revenue targets.
According to information officer Abinash Thapa Magar, last year by the end of Chaitra, the park had collected NPR 238.9 million from eco-tourism alone. However, the current year has seen a shortfall in all revenue sources, including fines and sales from forest products.
