Sri-Antu: A dazzling tourist destination in Ilam

Sri-Antu is one of the main tourist destinations in Ilam, where people throng to see sunshine and sunset. A large number of visitors come here to see sunrise and visit the pond located inside the tea garden  and to relish the local delicious eateries.

However, there are neither any tourists here nor any homestay operators. Every thing has come to a grinding halt due to Covid-19 pandemic. No one is seen around this beautiful area.

Sri-Auntu Danda Community homestay chairman Dhan Bahadur Ale says, “No one comes here now as everything is closed due to lock down and Covid-19 and it is difficult to reinstate the earlier circumstances.”

The tourism industry is already in crisis as local government and banks have  not conceded to tax relaxation and relaxation in loan repayment for the industry said Rudra Ghimire, another tour operator of the region.

Now, this tourist destination looks forgotten and forsaken where more than 400 tourists used to visit daily and no one stays around this place these days.

The whole financial transaction has come to a halt when tourists did not arrive here even in the peak season due to Covid-19 pandemic. So, we can’t do anything by opening the tourism related outlets as no tourist will come said another tourism operator Nima Dorjee Sherpa.

Most of the local tourism operators are looking at local government and Banks for tax relaxation and loan repayment facilities as the tourism business is halted.