Rara Lake, the main tourist destination of Karnali, has received 13,883 tourists in the first nine months of the current fiscal year. Despite the unpaved roads and expensive air tickets, Rara Lake has attracted tourists.

As of Chaitra in the fiscal year 2082/083, 13,681 domestic tourists have visited Rara. According to the Rara National Park Office, there are 69 tourists from SAARC countries and 133 tourists from other countries.

According to the office, the impact of the recent increase in the price of petroleum products has also started to be seen in the tourism sector here. According to the office, the number of tourists arriving by plane is decreasing. Many are coming in groups in vehicles.

Senior Conservation Officer of the office, Bishwa Babu Shrestha, informed that an average of 35 tourists visit Rara Lake daily. Earlier, most tourists used to reach Rara Lake by plane at Talcha Airport. But now, since the plane fare is very expensive, they come in groups and reserve a car.

Earlier, the fare from Surkhet to Talcha was 7,400 rupees. Now it has reached 9,600 rupees. Shrestha said, ‘Tourists are suffering from high prices.’

Since it is a national park, tourists have difficulty finding food due to the lack of adequate hotels. ‘There is only one hotel. Hotel accommodation is not organized,’ he said, ‘Still, tourists are taking risks to enjoy the beauty of Rara.’

The access road to Rara Lake tends to be dusty in winter and muddy in the rain. Tourists express their sorrow that they feel scared while traveling up and down the narrow road.

The Karnali Highway that reaches here is not even two-lane . There are no good food and accommodation facilities in the lake area . Dipendra Upadhyay of Kanakasundari Rural Municipality-5, Jumla, said, ‘Until there is provision of gas, accommodation and good roads, it does not seem possible to easily bring in tourists .’