Bhairahawa Declared Model Tourist City

Bhairahawa. Siddharthanagar Municipality Mayor Istiyak Ahmed Khan has announced to make Bhairahawa a model tourist city. After the debate on 'Bhairahawa City: Industry, Tourism and Trade' organized here, Mayor Khan, making a joint commitment, said that the municipality will take initiatives through its policies and programs to develop Bhairahawa as a model tourist city of Nepal.

Participating in the debate, tourism entrepreneur Chandra Prakash Shrestha (CP) expressed the view that it is not right to delay in developing Bhairahawa, which has easy access by land and air, as a tourist hub. He, who is also the central member of the Hotel Association Nepal and the president of the Siddhartha Hotel Association (SAN), said that Bhairahawa should be prioritized as a tourist city in the upcoming budget and programs.

The Belhiya border crossing, through which the largest number of tourists from third countries enter by land, falls in Bhairahawa. Direct bus services to various places in Nepal are operated from Belhiya and Bhairahawa. Hundreds of buses operated by Siddhartha Yatayat and Paschim Nepal Bus Committee provide daily services.

Participants in the debate suggested that the municipal government should take initiatives to expand domestic flights from Bhairahawa's Gautam Buddha International Airport, which has sufficient tourist-level hotels, spas, casinos, clubs, and tourist restaurants, to various parts of the country.

Former central vice-president of the Federation of Contractors' Associations of Nepal, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, said that contractors will fully support the development of Bhairahawa as a beautiful and tourist city. He expressed his commitment to continue supporting the development of Bhairahawa as a tourist and organized city, even though a large amount of payment for the work done by contractors has not yet been received.

Khim Bahadur Khatri, Treasurer of Lumbini Chamber of Commerce, said that the municipal government should pay special attention to further organize the business and tourism-friendly environment of Bhairahawa.

Women entrepreneur Saluja Ramdam expressed the view that if Bhairahawa can be developed as a women-friendly city, both tourism and entrepreneurship will expand. She said that special programs to encourage women entrepreneurs are necessary.