29, Asoj, Chitwan. After almost 3 years of starting the process of online ticket booking for tourists, Chitwan National Park has started online ticket booking from today. Dil Bahadur Purja Pun, the chief senior conservation officer of the park, informed that the park has arranged online ticketing for tourists from Sauraha Post as a trial from today.
Chitwan National Park, which is visited by the most tourists for wildlife viewing, was also affected by the lack of internet access for hotel and tourism professionals. There was a situation where tourists had to be physically present and buy tickets only by carrying cash.
Chief Conservation Officer Purja informed that online ticketing has been started from Sauraha area, which is the most frequented by tourists among the 12 different points to enter the park. "We have many items, during my previous tenure, preparations were made to go online for tickets, but it was too late," said Chief Senior Conservation Officer Purja.
Tourists are allowed to enter the park from Sauraha, Kasara, Ghatgai, Meghauli, Bankatta Madi, Kujauli Navalparasi and Amaltari. Dil Bahadur Purja Pun, the chief senior conservation officer of the park, said that since more than 80 percent of the internal and external tourists entering the park come from Sauraha, the online payment system has been installed focusing on Sauraha.
He informed that tourism professionals will also be trained on how to buy tickets online and various video materials will be prepared. Mahesh Khanal, the owner of Park Safari Hotel, said that it will be very convenient for tourists going to the park from Sauraha if they can buy tickets online at Sauraha Post.
In the Chitwan National Park, one can see the world's rare wild animals, one-horned rhinoceros, tigers, crocodiles and other animals, birds and biological diversity. To enter the park, Nepalese tourists have to pay a revenue of Rs 150 per person per day, tourists from SAARC countries Rs 1,000 and other foreign tourists have to pay Rs 2,000. Jeeps carrying tourists must pay Rs 5,000 once they enter. 60 jeeps take tourists to the park every day. Only 30 jeeps are allowed to visit the park in the morning and 30 in the afternoon.
A former conservation officer of the park said that by going to the online ticket, the information of the park will reach the whole world, it will be easier to extend the stay of tourists, there will be more publicity, the data of every tourist who visits the park will be available, it will be possible to cut anywhere, the crowd in the park will be less and it will be easier to arrange the time.
Chief Senior Conservation Officer Purja said that buying tickets by hand would cost a lot of manpower and it would be a hassle for tourists as well. He said that the compulsion of hotel and tourism businessmen to go to the post office early in the morning with only cash will be reduced.
According to the park, there is a facility where tourists can fill in the necessary details to buy tickets and also pay the revenue online. After filling all the details of the tourist and completing the process, a QR code will be generated and the park can be entered by showing the same code, the park said. The ticket will be for one day only.
Chitwan is the second national park to launch e-ticketing service. Earlier this service has been started in Shivpuri Nagarjuna National Park. Currently, there are 12 parks, 1 reserve, 1 hunting reserve and 6 protected areas in the country.
According to information received from Chitwan Park, the number of tourists visiting the park in the last fiscal year 2082/083 reached 272,923. Out of them, 237,25 people entered the park through the Sauraha crossing. According to the information provided by the park office, 161,375 Nepalese tourists, 22,883 tourists from SAARC countries and 88,665 tourists from third countries visited the park in the last financial year.
