Hawkers vex tourists in Bhaktapur

BHAKTAPUR, Feb. 9: Foreign tourists have complained that Bhaktapur Municipality could not provide security to them even if they enter by paying as high as Rs 1,100 to visit the heritages located in the municipality.



Mostly tourists feel insecure while visiting and taking snaps of various heritages which have been enlisted in the World Heritage List, including the Durbar Square area, the 55-Window Palace, Bhairab Temple and the Dattatraya Temple, said tourists and guides. [break]



As soon as they enter the town, they are surrounded by the hawkers, who pressure them to buy curio goods and do not allow taking photos of the heritages, said a tourist guide Rameswor Karki.



Karki said whenever he takes tourists to Bhaktapur, the hawkers force the tourists to buy their goods and the municipality staffs remain silent spectators to all this instead of giving security.



A German tourist Mark Herbert said the municipality has not given facilities as has been paid to them. He was angry as he was forced by the hawkers as soon as he opened his camera.



There are about 100 hawkers in Bhaktapur alone.



Tourism Development Committee Bhaktapur Chairman Diwanchandra Dhaubhadel says the municipality has not been able to manage the hawkers.



The municipality has, however, said hawkers are barred entry into the heritage sites, but if they trouble tourists, it will take action.



But no action has been taken, say the tourists.

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