Morang. The Koshi Province government is celebrating Tourism Year 2082 for the development and promotion of tourism in the state.

The tourism year, which began with the aim of bringing in 15 lakh tourists from neighbouring country India and third countries, has completed six months of the year.

Kamlesh Sharma, who hails from Bihar, India, has been living in Nepal for the past one week with his family of four. “I had come to Nepal before for a trip with my friends, but this is the first time I have come to Nepal with my family,” he said. According to him, this year’s visit has been very easy and enjoyable compared to the previous time. Sharma said that many other Indian citizens like to visit Nepal. He said, “We are able to stay in a standard hotel at a cheap price.

Although the provincial government used to organize tourism year programs in the first three months of April, May and June, there were very few programs related to tourism publicity in the last three months. Bhavish Shrestha, co-coordinator of Koshi Tourism Year 2082, said that the program brought by the Koshi Province government with the slogan ‘Pride of Koshi’s Majesty, Honor to All in Tourism Year’ is being made a success with the participation of the government as well as the private sector. Besides religious, natural and cultural, tourists from education, health and sports sectors will also visit the festival, he shared.

The Koshi Province government has introduced the Tourism Year 2082 programme to revitalize the tourism sector that has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Chief Minister of Koshi Province Hikmat Kumar Karki said Nepal would work in the sectors of energy, hydropower, tourism and medicinal herbs. There are around 500 tourist-level hotels and 150 hotels ranging from one-star to five-star level in the province, according to tourism entrepreneur and co-coordinator of Koshi Tourism Year 2082, Bhabish Shrestha.

According to him, these hotels have the capacity to accommodate three thousand tourists on a daily basis. According to Shrestha, the floods and landslides that occurred in the eastern hilly districts last month have also directly affected the tourism sector. He said that further publicity of Tourism Year 2082 would be made after the Chhath festival.

Koshi Province is considered to be attractive in terms of geographical, cultural and religious tourism. Kachankawal is located at an altitude of 70 meters above sea level, from the world’s highest peak Mount Everest at 8,848 meters high to Kachankawal. Thousands of domestic and foreign tourists throng Shree Antu Danda of Ilam every day to watch the sunrise. Tourists from bird watching to the wetlands in the Koshi Tappu Reserve.

The Koshi Province government has included 13 places in the list of ecotourism destinations and 10 places as trekking trails. According to the government data, 43 percent of foreign tourists and 57 percent of domestic tourists visit the state to observe Mt Everest. Chhintang of Dhankuta, Pathibhara Temple of Taplejung, Halesi of Khotang and Baraha area of Sunsari are important areas in terms of religious tourism. Chiyabari of Ilam, Bhedetar of Dhankuta, Tyamkemyungdanda of Bhojpur, Sadhutar of Panchthar are some of the tourist attractions. The mountain range including Mt Everest, Makalu, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse and Choyu attract foreign tourists. The trek up to Everest, Makalu and Kanchenjunga base camp is considered adventurous and interesting. Along with this, Falgunanda trekking, Mundum trail and Sabhapokhari trek are considered to be the basis of ecotourism.