“The number of visitors preferring tour packages is very low. Domestic visitors are yet to start the trend of buying tour packages,” Pramod Shrestha, managing director of E-Mary Travel, told myrepublica.com. “We are yet to encourage people to prefer the service of travel agencies.” [break]
Most of the travel agencies in the country have lately started arranging food and accommodation to domestic visitors in popular tourist destinations. Earlier, they only used to arrange vehicles for them.
“We are providing such facilities as per the request of domestic visitors. They have not been able to shift their focus on other tourist areas as Pokhara and Chitwan continue to be the most popular tourist destination for them,” Shrestha said, adding, “Places like Lumbini, Devghat, Panauti, Pashupatinaht and Gosaikunda are popular pilgrimages sites for domestic visitors,” he added.
Vijaya Pradhan, proprietor of Discover Nepal, said the trend of families visiting places in the country during winter season is increasing in recent years. “Youths are also moving in large numbers,” he added.
Due to less attraction of visitors on tour packages, tour operators do not have competitive and attractive packages for domestic visitors.
“There are only around half a dozen travel agencies that are promoting domestic tourism,” Shrestha said.
The winter season is considered the best time for domestic tourism as it is the lean season for international visitors.
“During lean season, tourism entrepreneurs have no option but to go for domestic tourism,” said Badri Makaju, vice president of Nagarkot Naldum Tourism Development Committee and the owner of Hotel Chautari in Nagarkot. “It is because of domestic tourism that our tourism industry survived during insurgency days when we used to receive less international visitors.”
Domestic tourists flock Nagarkot in large number on weekends during winter season. Hotels in Nagarkot offer attractive packages -- ranging from simple to deluxe -- for family and couple who want to spend a night or two at hotels in Nagarkot.
“This is the peak season for domestic tourism in Nagarkot,” Makaju further added.
Most people prefer to travel on their own and do not take service of travel agencies, fearing that the agents might charge them high price for their services. There is no authentic figure about the movement of domestic tourists within the country.
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