MANANG: The Himalayan district of Manang is now enjoying clear weather after the monsoon season concluded.

With the onset of clear weather, foreign tourists begin arriving, signaling the start of the primary tourist season.

In the first one and a half months of this year’s season, the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Unit Conservation Office reported the arrival of over 7,000 tourists.

Bhupendra Gurung, ACAP’s Conservation Education Assistant, informed that at least 7,461 tourists arrived in one and a half months.

According to Gurung, after the season started, 1,127 from Israel, 501 from Germany, 466 from the U.K., and 441 from Australia have visited the Annapurna trekking route, Thorong La Pass, Larkya La Pass, and Tilicho Lake under Manang.

“Along with those countries, citizens from 87 countries around the world have visited the picturesque places of Manang. It is expected that the country’s economy, as well as the disappointed Manang residents, will gain momentum,” said Conservation Education Assistant Gurung.

Binod Gurung, president of the Tourism Entrepreneurs Association, reported that although the Gen Z movement and monsoon-end floods/landslides initially hindered tourist arrivals, activity has now begun.

“Manang’s income level impacts the country’s economy. The Gen Z movement had foreign tourists taking back their booked hotels. Now, as peace is being established in the country, arrivals are increasing,” Binod said.

In Manang, which had become desolate after the Gen Z movement, the activity of foreign and domestic tourists has increased. The business owners say that while tourist arrivals should increase after the monsoon finishes, the tourism business slowed down due to active monsoon-end damage causing large loss of life and property, but now the tourism business is becoming better than expected.

Local hotel entrepreneur Nabin Bikram Singh stated that the hotels whose bookings were cancelled are now starting to fill up.

“The arrival of tourists is not as much as it should be. But there has been some arrival of foreign tourists now,” he said.

Singh said that it is the estimate of tourism and hotel entrepreneurs that tourists might be more terrified, especially after the burning of the Hilton Hotel, which is considered one of the country’s largest.

At this time, plenty of tourists used to be seen on the roads and trekking routes of Manang. But this year there aren’t that many. Full arrival of tourists has also not occurred. It seems necessary that the attention of all three levels of government should be drawn to make the trekking journey and roads of Manang, which impact the country’s economy, easier.

Now, the practice of Nepali citizens going out on trips is also found to be increasing. They are found to be focusing on risky travel and the promotion of rural tourism. This is also promoting domestic tourism.

Foreign tourists are found to come, especially to experience the human life here and to enjoy the original culture as well as the natural beauty.

In the age of technology, they come to feel the real natural human life. Tourists arrive to see the views of the Himalayas and hills, the traditions, culture, and customs of the Manang residents, and the natural beauty.

Also, through the Annapurna trekking route, which is one of the world’s 10th most dangerous trekking routes, tourists cross the Thorong La Pass from Manang and reach Pokhara via Mustang.

The journey on the Annapurna trekking route starts from Manange Chautara in Besisahar Municipality-7, Lamjung, the entrance of the route.

The Annapurna trekking route connects the districts of Lamjung, including Manang, Mustang, Myagdi, and Kaski.

Tourists arrive from Kathmandu to Besisahar by vehicle. Recently, as road transport has become easier, they are found traveling all the way to Chame and Khangsar by vehicle.

Only after that are they found to travel the trekking route toward the main destination.

(RSS)