Tourist arrivals to Bhedetar, a hill station in eastern Nepal, have zoomed with revellers flocking to the vantage point to celebrate the New Year. A food festival was also organized to mark New Year’s Day which pulled in large crowds.

The food festival, which is in its fourth edition, has become successful in attracting fun seekers to Bhedetar with its wide variety of local cuisines and other dishes. The food festival hosted a large number of tourists from West Bengal, India besides domestic visitors from many districts in Nepal’s Eastern Region.  

Apart from tasty dishes, the food festival offered cultural performances of people from different ethnic groups, horse riding and cycling, among other fun events. A number of national and local artistes performed at the festival. New Year celebrators enjoyed the scenic beauty from Bhedetar and also visited adjoining sightseeing destinations like Sisuwa Waterfall, Jhumki Hill, Namje, Sanghuri Gadhi, Pathibhara, Aatma Chautara, Dhwoje Hill, Lapchetar and the Tamor River. The tourism festival was an opportunity for the visitors to enjoy rafting and paragliding. The visitors have been enjoying home stay as well.

According to Jitendra Rumdali, secretary of the Hotel Association of Bhedetar, around 40 hotels in the region offered special discounts on food and lodging to the guests.  

The festival was a morale booster for local hoteliers whose business had shrunk drastically due to the unrest in the Tarai region and the trade embargo by India. “This event has provided us some relief,” said Lila Raj Lawati, president of the Hotel Association of Bhedetar.

Although the turnout at the annual event was good, tourist arrivals from India were below expected levels. Potential Indian tourists were apparently discouraged from visiting Nepal due to the demonstrations at the border points which have obstructed the movement of travellers and motor vehicles for four months.

The organizers said that even though the event was held during a bad time, their target of 10,000 visitors and transactions of Rs2 million was achieved.