Baglung’s Tourism Puzzle: Why Visitors Skip This Hidden Gem Near Pokhara?

As much as 40 percent of the total tourists visiting Nepal have reached Pokhara, a touristic city, according to available data. Baglung district, another tourist destination, is around 70 kilometers from Pokhara, the capital city of tourism. But the influx of tourists to Baglung is comparatively low, according to data. There are many tourist destinations that have much potentiality to attract tourists, just one and one and a half hours walk from Pokhara. Why are tourist destinations in neighbouring Baglung, Parbat and Myagdi districts lagging behind in attracting tourists?

A lack of tourism infrastructure, publicity campaigns and information technology are major factors behind this, said tourism entrepreneurs.

Although it takes around two hours walk to reach Baglung from Pokhara, the inflow of tourists to the tourist destination is low, they said, adding that except for tourists who have reached Pokhara under the guidance of tourism entrepreneurs, individual tourists do not make their way to Baglung on their own.

Visiting tourists directly reach the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve that lies in the Eastern Rukum, Myagdi and Baglung districts through a helicopter. Even if tourists reach Baglung on a tour package, they do not stay overnights here, said local tourism entrepreneurs.

Why tourists do not visit Baglung?
Institutional initiatives are required to attract tourists, said a tourism entrepreneur, Mahadev Sharma, who has taken initiatives at a personal level to attract tourists to the district.

“How many tourists visit Baglung on an individual’s initiative? I have made efforts to bring in vegetarian tourists. The local levels should take initiatives, and the private sector should forge a partnership. I see it is easier to attract tourists visiting for religious purpose. Those who visit Pokhara make it to Muktinath directly from Pokhara. Indian tourists who have reached Muktinath possibly visit Baglung. There must be arrangements made to provide quality accommodation and food for Indian tourists. Well-equipped vegetarian hotels should be established,” he said.

Factors like a lack of a partner organisation from the private sector, and publicity about tourism potential of Baglung at the national and international levels have been blamed for failure to attract tourists, he said.

The local level has not opened a single trail for tourists to walk whole three days so visiting tourists can explore rural settings, culture and lifestyle of people, he said.

“I have guided tourists whole two days by opening a trail from Baglung bazaar to Baura through Bhakunde and Baudechaur. But the local level has not shown any interest in attracting tourists.”

The private sector has little investment in tourism infrastructures. There are not enough places to visit and good accommodation service for visiting tourists. There is a lack of infrastructures to prolong their stay. As a result, tourists cannot be attracted, said a local Ram Sharma.

Conservation and the demonstration of Baglung’s old cultural dances, ‘Hanuman Naach’, ‘Lakhe Naach’, ‘Ghatu Naach’, and ‘Salaijo’ could attract not only foreign tourists but also domestic ones, he viewed.

Lack of tourist information centre
Without a proper information system, visiting domestic and foreign tourists have often been in problem. It requires a tourist information centre that provides visitors with information about attractions of the areas, lodging, maps and other facilities, said Nilesh Rajbhandari, President of the Baglung district hotel entrepreneur association. Tourists require information about the places they want to visit, he said.

“This is a digital age. Everything has gone digital. But hotels here are old-fashioned. They cannot be located digitally or through the Google map. Foreign tourists search for their destinations and hotels digitally. There are only a dozen tourist hotels in the district headquarters. Hotels here should be upgraded. We have suggested Baglung Municipality to open a tourist information centre at the entrance of the district,” he said.

There is a need for focusing physical infrastructure development, investment in hospitality sector and publicity to attract tourists, he stressed.

Tourists heading to Mustang do not go to Baglung
Following the visit of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 12 May, 2018, the influx of Indian tourists to Muktinath Temple has increased. However, only 15 percent of the visiting Indian tourists have reached Kalika Temple and other religious areas in Baglung district, according to data.

Although Indian tourists visiting Mustang have started making it to Baglung of late, tourists from third countries directly return, said Kumar Khadka, chairperson of the Baglung Kalika Bhagawati Guthi Management Committee. Indian tourists reaching Muktinath Temple visit Shalgram museum at Kundule of Baglung Municipality-4. But tourists reaching Baglung from Mustang directly go to Pokhara without staying overnight here, said local hotel entrepreneurs.

Most of Indian tourists prefer vegetarian meals. But Baglung lacks even a single good quality vegetarian hotel, thus making the matter worse, said Sharma. Tourism publicity and promotional activities should take place to attract tourists from Mustang, he viewed. Publicity of hotels digitally can be a part of the promotional activities, he added.

Baglung dependent on domestic tourists
Although Baglung lacks the influx of foreign tourists, there is a dense mobility of domestic tourists. Most of hotels in the district have been packed with domestic tourists, according to data with the hotel entrepreneur association, Baglung. There is an increasing inflow of domestic tourists to tourist destinations of the district including Baglung Kalika, Panchakot, Shalgram Museum, Handikot, Beldhunga, Soledanda, Bhairabsthan and Ghakunde.

The number of domestic tourists visiting the district has shot up after COVID-19, said a local hotel entrepreneur, Lalita Thapa. Most of them were from Pokhara, Chitwan, Gorkha and Kathmandu. Following a surge in the inflow of domestic tourists, Baglung Municipality will take initiatives at the institutional level in attracting foreign tourists, said the municipality deputy mayor Raju Khadka.

Tourist destinations adding
New tourist destinations are adding in Baglung district. The ‘world’s longest’ suspension bridge, ‘Gandaki Golden Bridge’ in English and ‘Gandaki Sunaulo Jhula’ in Nepali, Shalgram Museum, Panchakot, Buddha Hill, Handikot, Galkot Sahastra waterfall and Ghaighat waterfall are among tourist destinations that have lately captured the attention of tourists just after COVID-19, said local authorities. The ‘world’s tallest’ bungee jumping and swing have also operated from the 567 metres long bridge over the Kaligandaki river.

The bridge links Balewa in Baglung district, and Kushma, the district headquarters of Parbat.

Tourists have flooded the area to enjoy the two adventure activities, said Arjun Chokhal, secretary of the tourism development committee, Baglung. Lately, domestic tourists are getting attracted to the tourist destination with the proper publicity through the use of technology, he said.

“Many people are found to have reached the suspension bridge through its publicity through TikTok. Social sites are becoming effective in publicising tourist destinations. Tourist destinations are adding after the local level started building infrastructures as part of its campaign to construct tourism infrastructures in local levels,” he said.

Stressing the need for bringing tourist-friendly policies and programmes to prolong stay of domestic and foreign tourists, he said Baglung lacking a tourism master plan has created a problem.

Baglung lacks well-equipped hotels
Foreign tourists and VIP guests hesitate to go to Baglung district for want of star hotels. Even when they reach the district, they descend to Pokhara for a stay overnight, said local hotel entrepreneurs. The district lacks a hotel that can accommodate 100 people at a go, said a local Ram Sharma. Without well-equipped hotels and resorts, there lacks a space to organise big national and international programmes, seminars and workshops, he said.

Tourist-friendly homestay needed
Out of a total 28 community homestay facilities in the district, only a half dozen are tourist-friendly, he said. Only a handful has provided quality service by offering quality accommodation and serving local organic food items. They also offer various local cultural entertainment programme, according to local people.

Without quality homestay facilities, tourists, both domestic and foreign, do not prefer to stay, he said.

It lacks data of visiting tourists
Baglung does not have exact data of visiting domestic and foreign tourists. There also lack materials that give information about tourist destinations and a visitor’s centre provides visitors with information about attractions of the areas, lodging, maps and other facilities, said local tourism entrepreneurs.

The Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve has kept data of visiting domestic and foreign tourists. According to the Reserve, 9,000 tourists, both domestic and foreign, reached the Reserve this year.