Rajesh Ranabhat from Pokhara arrived in Sauraha, a tourist area of ​​Chitwan, with his family on Tuesday. The Ranabhat family, who arrived in Sauraha to welcome the Nepali New Year 2083 with their family, was busy with sightseeing as soon as they arrived in Sauraha. After visiting the Tharu cultural program, Sauraha Dam side and other areas, he had already bought tickets for a jeep safari in Chitwan National Park on Wednesday morning.

‘Now that the children are on holiday and the weather is good, we have come to Chitwan with our family to celebrate the New Year. Everyone is getting used to going out on New Year’s Day,’ said Ranabhat. 

Sauraha is now full of domestic tourists like them.  Tourists from various places have come to Sauraha with their families to celebrate the New Year.  This has provided some relief to tourism entrepreneurs.  ‘The tradition of traveling has been increasing among Nepalis recently, and domestic tourists have started increasing to celebrate the New Year,’ said tourism entrepreneur Suman Ghimire, ‘The domestic tourists who came on New Year have provided some relief. If domestic tourists like this always came, it would be easier to operate the hotel.’ 

There is a heavy presence of domestic tourists in Sauraha on New Year’s Day. Hotel entrepreneur Keshav Khanal said that the hotel’s occupancy has reached around 90 percent. ‘The presence of domestic tourists to celebrate the New Year was good, the occupancy of our hotels remained at almost 100 percent, the occupancy of hotels in Sauraha is around 90 percent,’ said businessman Khanal, who is also the owner of Hotel Monalisa. 

On the night before the New Year, the streets, dam side, Gainda Chowk and other areas of Sauraha were crowded with domestic tourists.  Hotels and restaurants were also full of domestic tourists.  On Tuesday, on New Year's Day, a significant number of tourists came to the Elephant Breeding Training Center and other areas.  However, Om Pandey, President of the Regional Hotel Association, Sauraha, says that they are not satisfied with so many tourists.  ‘Before, fewer tourists came than before, we are not satisfied, but we have got some relief,’ said President Pandey. 

As the number of foreign tourists has decreased recently, tourism businesses are relying on domestic tourists.  "While foreign tourists have come less, domestic tourists have come during the New Year, which has given us some relief, even if it is a little," said tourism entrepreneur Basu Dhungana. In Sauraha alone, there are currently about 200 hotels, both small and large, and an equal number of restaurants. Various cultural programs have been organized in Bharatpur, Patihani and other areas to welcome the New Year. In Chitwan, tourists come to Chitwan National Park, community forests for jeep safaris, elephant safaris, boat rides on the Rapti River, and to watch Tharu cultural dances.