Dhorpatan: The number of tourists visiting Dhorpatan, Nepal’s only hunting reserve area, has been increasing annually.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve Office in Baglung reported that the number of internal tourists rose by 8,000 in a year.
Ranger Sagar Subedi of the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve Office revealed that 23,692 tourists visited Dhorpatan in the fiscal year 2081/82, compared to 15,573 in the previous fiscal year. Among these visitors, 12 were citizens from SAARC member states, and 213 were nationals from other countries, while the remainder were internal tourists.
Subedi attributed the rise in tourist numbers to increased promotion of Dhorpatan and improved tourism infrastructures. He noted that the increase in tourists has also led to a boost in revenue. Nepali tourists visiting Dhorpatan are required to pay a Rs 100 entry fee, contributing to more than two million rupees in revenue from entrance fees in the last fiscal year.
Subedi also mentioned that popular trekking routes are contributing to the growth in tourist numbers. While foreign tourists primarily visit for hunting, domestic tourists explore the hunting reserve area, Dhorpatan Valley, Niseldhor, Dhorbarah Temple, Bukipatan, Jaljala, and other sites.
Ram Bahadur Gharti, operator of Dhorpatan Community Homestay, shared that approximately two dozen hotels and homestays now offer services to visitors in Dhorpatan Valley. Tourists can conveniently reach the area by purchasing tour packages.