Kathmandu. The average stay of tourists visiting Gandaki Province is 12 days and their average daily expenditure is Rs. 8,355.29 (USD 62.89).

According to a study report prepared by the Research Unit of Nepal Rastra Bank, Pokhara Office, an analysis of payment methods used by tourists in the last fiscal year showed that 94.93 per cent of the surveyed tourists paid in cash.

While 28.41 per cent of the tourists reported no issues during their stay, 71.59 per cent experienced problems like language barriers, lack of tourism information, transportation issues, security concerns, payment problems and cultural differences.

The report indicates that tourists from 41 different countries visited Gandaki Province in the last fiscal year, with the majority coming from India, France, USA, UK and Australia.

The highest number of tourists, 46.25 per cent visiting Gandaki Province were from Europe, while the lowest, 0.75 per cent were from South America, but no tourists were recorded from the African continent.

Among the tourists, the age group 31 to 45 years constituted the largest number at 33 per cent, while tourists aged up to 20 years made up the smallest at 1.5 per cent.

The report also noted that 68 per cent of tourists were first-time visitors to Gandaki Province, whereas 32 per cent had visited more than once. Furthermore, 34.75 per cent of tourists travelled alone, 28.75 per cent with friends, 22.50 per cent with family members and 14 per cent in groups.

As the Gandaki Province is a popular destination for adventure tourism, the majority of tourists, 40.18 per cent, engaged in various adventure sports. Tourists visiting for business purposes comprised 2.98 per cent.

Compared to the national average stay of tourists in Nepal, the average stay in Gandaki Province is 54.55 per cent. Female tourists tend to stay longer on average than male tourists.

Female tourists visiting Nepal stay an average of 25 days, while male tourists stay an average of 20 days. In Gandaki Province, the average stay is 11 days for male tourists and 13 days for female tourists.(TRN)