Tourists return to Nepal as violence makes an exit

Tourists return to Nepal as violence makes an exit

By Vipul Goel

Pokhara (Nepal), Jan.16 (ANI): As peace returns to Nepal, the Himalayan kingdom, after the November peace deal between the interim government and the Maoists, thousands of tourists have started visiting many various spots including Pokhara, the famous tourist spot here.

Tourists, from different parts of the world are visiting Nepal that shares it borders with India and China and is a home to eight of the world's 10 tallest peaks, including Mount Everest.

According to the tourism officials, the inflow of tourists into the country has witnessed a steady rise this year.

"In comparison to last year, the number of tourists has increased. Over 65,000 tourists have come in through Balia Naka (Balia check post). The inflow of tourists has slowly been on a rise," said Jiwan Chetri, tourism officer of Belehia.

The popular Pokhara resort had witnessed a significant drop in tourist arrivals last year but these days it is abuzz with visitors.

Hundreds of tourists gathered at the Poon Hill, at the crack of dawn to witness the sunrise.

"I had never been at this place, this is the most terrific place in the world I have seen. I came here today in the morning, said the 60-year-old German tourist Sim Kruzer.

Nepal offers visitors ancient temples, luxury resorts, casinos and game parks.

The resort, once an important trading post on the route between Tibet and India, offers the tourists a variety of attractions with a spectacular view of clear skies, lakes and mountains.

Katmandu, the capital of Nepal, forms the base for visitors trekking in the tranquil Himalayan mountains and its forested foothills or visiting the birthplace of Lord Buddha.

Thousands of tourists spend hours sitting around its ancient temples and walking through its narrow lanes.

The tourism industry suffered badly during the brief period of political turmoil recently.

The Nepali government and the Maoist agreed to a peace deal in November last year, ending a decade of violence and turmoil the conflict.

Tourism accounts for about four per cent of Nepal's GDP and officials said tourist arrivals fell from a peak of about half a million in 1999 to 277,000 in 2005. (ANI)