CHITWAN, Dec 15: The 17th Chitwan Elephant and Tourism Festival 2080 is all set to be organized in the tourist town of Sauraha in Chitwan district from December 26 to 30. The festival was halted for four years due to various reasons including the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event is being co-organized by the Regional Hotel Association Nepal, Chitwan, the United Elephant Operation Cooperative Organisation and the Restaurant and Bar Association of Nepal.
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During a press conference held on Friday to inform about the festival, the organizers said that the venue for the event has been fixed at Mainahachaur. According to the organizers, the event aims to promote domestic and foreign tourism in Sauraha.
On the occasion, the association’s president Ganga Giri said the festival is going to be organized to engage and entertain an increasing number of tourists in Sauraha while expressing the hope that it would help in the promotion of Nepal's tourism in the international level.
The festival has been slightly modified due to various reasons, the organizers shared. Elephant race, elephant football and elephant polo have been removed from the festival this year following concerns raised by animal rights activists, said the organizers. But the elephant beauty contest and boat race have been kept intact.
The festival will see an interaction on the potential and challenges of Chitwan's tourism along with a friendly sports competition. The interaction will discuss the role of the local government, businesspersons and the tourism board for the promotion of tourism in the district, said Om Prakash Pandey, coordinator of the main organizing committee.
(RSS)
