Bhaktapur tourism still strong despite charge hike

Bhaktapur, Jan. 4 (RSS): Some tourists visiting Bhaktapur town retreated from the ticket counters Wednesday as a result of the one hundred per cent increment in its tourist service charge made by Bhaktapur Municipality. However, 553 tourists agreed to pay US dollar 10 (Rs. 750) per ticket to go around the historical town.

According to the Tourist Services Centre, 121 tourists from SAARC and non-SAARC countries visited Bhaktapur in the first two days, Monday and Tuesday (despite Nepal Bandh call) after the increment of the service charge, while 508 tourists from non-SAARC countries and 45 tourists from the SAARC region went sight-seeing in the town on the third day, Wednesday.

Tourists Services Centre in-charge Gautam Prasad Lasiwa said that four tourists went back refusing to pay increased rate at Khauma entrance, while seven others followed suit at Sano Vyasi entry point. However, eye witnesses and local businessmen say that only two tourists who came by bus returned without entering the town.

According to in-charge Lasiwa, on Wednesday alone, the municipality earned Rs. 383,250 from service charges from the tourists of SAARC and non-SAARC countries.

Till end of the year 2000, the municipality was charging tourists from non-countries Rs. 375 per head and those of the SAARC region Rs. 30 per head. With the beginning of the new year, it hiked the service charge of Rs. 750 for tourists of non-SAARC countries and Rs. 50 for those of the SAARC region.

With the introduction of the new rate, each tourists visiting the town in provided with a Bhadgaunle (Bhaktapur) cap at its entry points.

The service charge was introduced seven years back and the municipality has already earned Rs. 174,739,000 from it.