Bandipur, Nepal Faces Sharp Decline In Tourism During Dashain Tihar Amid Protests And Road Challenges

Published on September 26, 2025

This year, during nan accepted Dashain and Tihar show period, Bandipur, a charming hilltop municipality successful cardinal Nepal, is seeing a startling diminution successful tourism. Bandipur, which is well-known for its unique fusion of culture, history, and scenic beauty, typically draws a sizable tourer organization during nan holidays. However, owed to a melodramatic driblet successful some home and overseas tourists, nan municipality has been eerily quiet this year. Once flourishing during nan busiest clip of year, section businesses are now facing challenges owed to vacant hotels, cancelled reservations, and an uncertain future.

During Dashain and Tihar, which are regarded arsenic Nepal’s largest festivals, Bandipur’s streets would beryllium crowded pinch visitors and hotels would swiftly capable up. Travelers seeking a tranquil retreat amidst quality and taste exploration would find nan town’s practice homes, temples, and surrounding landscapes to beryllium an alluring package. Businesses are suffering arsenic a consequence of nan noticeable diminution successful visitors this year, which has replaced nan accustomed engaged scenes.

The Impact of Protests connected Tourism

The crisp driblet successful tourer arrivals tin beryllium attributed to a operation of factors, nan astir important being nan protests that took spot successful early September. On September 8 and 9, a bid of protests, led by nan Gen Z movement, affected various regions crossed Nepal, including Bandipur. These protests caused disruptions successful regular life, starring to a alteration successful recreation plans arsenic imaginable visitors feared facing disruptions aliases encountering information concerns. The protests, which were a focal constituent for governmental and societal change, made headlines and impacted nan wide cognition of information successful nan country, discouraging visitors from visiting Bandipur during what is typically a engaged clip of nan year.

In summation to nan protests, Bandipur has faced persistent infrastructure issues, including mediocre roadworthy conditions that deterred galore imaginable travelers. While roadworthy accessibility has been an ongoing challenge, nan seasonal rains further exacerbated nan situation, making recreation to nan municipality moreover much difficult. For galore tourists, nan operation of information concerns owed to nan protests and logistical issues related to roadworthy conditions made Bandipur little appealing than usual.

The “Visit Bandipur Year 2025” Campaign

This diminution successful tourism comes astatine a captious juncture for Bandipur, arsenic nan municipality had declared 2025 arsenic “Visit Bandipur Year,” pinch an eager extremity of attracting 400,000 visitors, doubling past year’s full of 200,000 tourists. The municipality had hoped that this year’s festivals would people nan opening of a tourism revival aft nan devastating effect of COVID-19 connected nan world tourism industry. The target for 2025 included 150,000 home visitors and 60,000 world tourists.

To beforehand this eager goal, Bandipur’s section authorities launched a awesome promotional run successful Kathmandu to seizure nan attraction of home visitors and world travelers alike. The arena was designed to showcase nan town’s rich | taste heritage, its stunning earthy landscapes, and its galore attractions, specified arsenic nan historical temples of Khadgadevi, Thanimai, and Mahalaxmi, arsenic good arsenic Siddha Cave, nan largest cave successful Nepal. Despite this well-thought-out trading effort, nan protests person negatively impacted nan town’s entreaty and disrupted its tourism momentum.

Impact connected Local Businesses and Entrepreneurs

The diminution successful tourism has had a important effect connected section businesses, peculiarly those successful nan hospitality industry. Hotels, restaurants, and homestays, which typically thrive during nan festive season, are now reporting debased occupancy rates and wide cancellations. This crisp alteration successful bookings has near section entrepreneurs concerned astir nan early of their businesses and livelihoods.

In a municipality wherever tourism plays a pivotal domiciled successful nan economy, nan existent business is worrying for galore mini business owners. Local hotels that would usually beryllium afloat booked during this clip are now seeing fewer guests, pinch galore beforehand bookings being canceled. This abrupt displacement has created an aerial of uncertainty, and nan imaginable of recovering from nan downturn remains unclear.

Many business owners had hoped that nan typical events planned for nan “Visit Bandipur Year 2025” run would boost arrivals and inject immoderate much-needed economical activity into nan section economy. However, pinch tourism numbers little than expected, these hopes person been dashed, leaving nan business organization anxious astir what lies ahead.

Bandipur’s Resilience and Response

In consequence to nan ongoing challenges, Bandipur’s municipal authorities are taking proactive steps to reassure visitors that nan municipality remains a safe, welcoming destination. Municipality chairperson Surendra Thapa has publically emphasized that contempt nan protests and immoderate resulting instability successful nan region, Bandipur continues to beryllium a serene and unafraid spot to visit. He assured imaginable visitors that nan town’s information had not been compromised and that section authorities were afloat committed to maintaining a welcoming situation for visitors.

To further fortify this message, nan municipality is readying a typical programme for World Tourism Day, wherever they intend to item Bandipur’s unsocial appeal, its hospitality, and its information arsenic a destination for tourists. This programme will purpose to reconstruct assurance successful imaginable visitors and punctual them of nan town’s historical, cultural, and earthy allure. With tourism numbers falling to little than 100 visitors a time from complete 1,000, section businesses and nan municipality are wished to return contiguous action to rebuild nan town’s reputation.

A Bright Future for Bandipur’s Tourism

While nan existent business is undoubtedly challenging, Bandipur’s early remains promising. The town’s heavy humanities roots, its well-preserved Newar-style architecture, and its earthy beauty proceed to make it an charismatic destination for world travelers. In summation to nan town’s renowned temples and caves, Bandipur offers hiking routes, section festivals, and stunning views of nan surrounding mountains, making it a unsocial destination successful Nepal’s tourism landscape.

The municipality’s determination to push guardant pinch nan “Visit Bandipur Year 2025” inaugural will stay captious successful turning nan tide for tourism successful nan town. With strategical promotion, collaboration pinch section businesses, and a attraction connected improving infrastructure, Bandipur has nan imaginable to bounce backmost stronger and much resilient than ever.

Bandipur’s Path to Recovery

Even though Bandipur is presently dealing pinch difficulties, location is nary denying nan town’s allure and imaginable arsenic a recreation destination. The tourism manufacture successful Bandipur tin return to its erstwhile splendor pinch nan correct strategy, cooperation, and funding. Even though nan existent difficulties are discouraging, they besides coming a chance for section stakeholders to amended their strategy and collaborate to create a much vibrant, accessible, and sustainable tourism experience. Although nan treatment process will return time, Bandipur’s earthy beauty, hospitality, and bequest will proceed to tie visitors from each complete nan world successful nan years to come.