Tanahun. More than 21,725 foreign tourists visited Bandipur—one of Tanahun’s most popular tourist destinations—over the past seven months. The data, collected from last year’s Baisakh to the current fiscal year’s Kartik, shows a significant rise in foreign visitors to the hilltop town popularly known as the “Queen of the Hills.”
According to Govinda Rana, Assistant Sub-Inspector and chief of the temporary Tourist Police Post, Chinese nationals make up the largest share of foreign tourists visiting Bandipur. A total of 5,051 Chinese tourists arrived during the period, followed by visitors from Vietnam, India, and Spain. Rana noted that most Chinese tourists come for sightseeing rather than overnight stays, as many prefer to stay in Pokhara or Chitwan.
Foreign tourist arrivals by month were as follows:
Baisakh – 3,297
Jestha – 3,342
Asar – 2,766
Shrawan – 2,075
Bhadra – 1,832
Asoj – 3,786
Kartik – 4,627
Domestic tourism has also surged, with 32,760 Nepali visitors touring Bandipur during the same seven-month period. Visitor numbers have been particularly high in Kartik and Mangsir, when colleges and schools frequently organize student trips. Kartik alone saw 17,058 domestic tourists.
In the previous fiscal year, a total of 12,939 foreign tourists visited Bandipur. The Bandipur Rural Municipality has set an ambitious target to bring in even more tourists during Bandipur Tourism Year 2025, according to Rural Municipality Chair Surendra Bahadur Thapa.
Currently, four homestays and 70 hotels in Bandipur are operating at near full capacity. Chair Thapa said the rise in tourist arrivals has boosted the morale of local businesses and strengthened hopes for a vibrant tourism year ahead.
