Over 2,600 tourists visit Shuklaphanta national park in six months

Kanchanpur: A total of 2,634 tourists visited Shuklaphanta National Park in Kanchanpur during the first six months of the current fiscal year.

According to the park office, 1,629 of the visitors were men and 1,005 were women. Among them, 2,278 were domestic tourists. In addition, 244 visitors from SAARC countries, including 49 women and 195 men, and 112 tourists from other countries, including 49 women and 63 men, visited the park, informed Information Officer Purushottam Wagle.

During this period, the highest number of visitors, 621, was recorded in Chaitra. This was followed by 580 visitors in Kartik, 293 in Mangsir, 376 in Poush, 369 in Magh, and 386 in Falgun. The park collected a total revenue of Rs 1.467 million from tourism during this period, Wagle said.

The park, known for its rich biodiversity, rare wildlife, and tranquil environment, has become a popular destination among tourists. Although the number of foreign visitors declined slightly after the Covid pandemic, it has been gradually increasing in recent years. “Located in Nepal’s largest grassland, the park is home to diverse plant species as well as wildlife such as leopards, deer, and other rare animals. Both domestic and international tourists visit the park for observation, study, and research of its natural beauty and biodiversity,” Wagle said.

According to park records, 3,762 people visited the park in the fiscal year 2080/81, including 132 foreign tourists and 112 from SAARC countries. In the fiscal year 2081/82, a total of 3,322 visitors were recorded, including 199 from SAARC countries and 152 from other nations.

Dinesh Malla, President of the Kanchanpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that Shuklaphanta National Park is a favored destination due to its vast grasslands and the opportunity to observe numerous rare wildlife species within a compact area. “By promoting Shuklaphanta, a significant number of tourists can be attracted here. There has not been sufficient publicity about the biodiversity here, and collective efforts are needed to promote it,” he said.

Spread across 305 square kilometers, Shuklaphanta National Park is also known for its population of bison, with more than 2,323 found within the park.