KATHMANDU: Chitwan National Park (CNP) has registered a notable increase in visitor numbers, welcoming a total of 272,942 tourists by the end of the current fiscal year. This marks an increase of over 9,000 visitors compared to the previous year, representing continued growth in tourist footfall, according to CNP records. Last year witnessed the highest number of visitors to CNP in the past decade.

Despite the general uptick in tourist numbers, revenue collection has seen a significant rise, as reported by CNP authorities. Revenue generated by the park stood at Rs 315,713,171 by the end of the fiscal year, showing a notable increase from Rs 244,946,860 recorded during the same period last year. This surge in revenue underscores the park's growing contribution to the local economy.

Ganesh Prasad Tiwari, the CNP’s information officer, highlighted that revenue sources include the sale of firewood, non-timber forest products, tourism, fines, and other charges. Notably, tourism revenue alone reached a record Rs 267,153,050 this year, while revenue from non-timber forest products amounted to Rs 34,082,395. Furthermore, there has been a shift in tourist demographics, with a decrease in Nepali and SAARC tourists and a surge in visitors from other countries, indicating CNP's growing popularity as an international tourist destination.