Jumla. As many as 19,000 tourists have visited Rara Lake, one of the major attractions of domestic as well as foreign tourism.

Acting Chief of Rara National Park Rishikesh Yadav said that 6,171 out of 19,104 female and 12,933 male tourists had observed the lake in the last fiscal year.

Similarly, of them, 64 are male and 13 are female. Out of 276 foreign tourists, 163 male and 113 female visited Rara. Of the total 2,347 tourists visiting Rara in the fiscal year 2082/83, 1,589 are male and 758 are female, said Yadav. A total of 33 foreign tourists have reached Rara till mid-September of the current fiscal year.

With the upgradation of the Karnali Highway, the number of domestic tourists visiting Rara via road has increased. Officiating chief of the national park office, Yadav, said that the number of domestic tourists visiting Rara has increased especially during the Dashain and Tihar festivals this year.

Rara Lake is developing as a major tourist destination in Karnali State. The number of visitors from Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini states is increasing this season. It reaches Rara of Mugu via Surkhet, Dailekh, Kalikot, Jumla. Rara is home to 51 species of mammals including musk, deer, snow leopard, black bear and other mammals, according to the Park Office.

Hoteliers of Karnali Province have demanded the attention of all three tiers of government to blacktop the Nagma-Gamgadi road and the Karnali highway. Lately, the trend of Nepali citizens going out on tourism has been increasing. It has been found to be linked to risky travel and the promotion of rural tourism. Tourists come here to enjoy the scenery of the mountains, hills, culture, tradition and natural beauty of the people of Karnali.

Rara National Park was established in 2032 BS. It is spread over an area of one hundred and six square kilometers. Most of it lies in Mugu and a partly in Jumla district.

Native agricultural items of tourist interest

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Most of the domestic tourists who come to Jumla after reaching Rara have the main choice of the local agricultural products. Arjun Budha, proprietor of Raralihi Organic Shop in Khalanga Bazaar, said that Jumli is a preferred destination for domestic and foreign tourists as it is beneficial for health and deliciousness.

Organic products worth Rs 3 to 500,000 are being sold during the Dashain and Tihar festivals this year. According to Budha, organic goods worth Rs 12 lakh were traded in organic goods such as apple chickpeas, Marsi rice, beans, walnut, millet flour, sugarcane, cashewnut and honey worth Rs 12 lakh last year.