Pokhara Street Festival to target domestic tourists

Pokhara: Organizers of Pokhara Street Festival, which starts on December 28, are focusing on domestic tourists.

The five-day event is being organized by Restaurant and Bar Association of Nepal (REBAN) - Pokhara on the occasion of New Year 2014. REBAN-Pokhara has been organizing the event since one and half decades to promote Pokhara as a New Year destination.

Gopi Bahadur Bhattarai, president of REBAN-Pokhara, said they have decided to put more focus on domestic tourists as their spending his higher than that of foreign tourists. “Also foreign tourists demand big music events and other programs which are costlier. Local tourists enjoy traditional and typical programs which are cheaper,” added Bhattarai.

Surya Bahadur Bhujel, president of Pokhara Tourism Council, said Pokhara Street Festival has already become a popular event in Nepali tourism calendar. “Visitors from different parts of Nepal and world have started to come to Pokhara to celebrate the New Year,” he said.

Visitors turnout was low when we started the event one and half decades ago.

Though the main focus will be on attracting domestic tourists, Bhujel said REBAN-Pokhara would organize certain events targeting foreign tourists.

He further added that some foreign tourists, who are already in Pokhara, have postponed their departure in order to enjoy the street festival.

source: republica,10 Dec 2013