3 January 2020, Jomsom
As shared by the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), more than 57,000 foreigners visited Mustang district in the year 2019. As per ACAP Chief Tulasi Dahal, a total of 57,565 foreigners visited Mustang last year.
The ACAP has been keeping records of visiting foreigners to the district from its offices at Kagbeni and Jomsom.
However, the office has reported that the number of tourists visiting Mustang in 2019 has decreased compared to the previous year as in 2018, a total of 59,838 visitors visited Mustang, the Himalayan district of the country.
According to hotelier Ram Bahadur Gurung from Lho Mananthang, the change of trekking route into a motorable road and fee hike in Upper Mustang are the reasons for decreasing in tourists’ arrival.
Similarly, Indian tourists make the largest portion of visiting Muktinath temple sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists.
Records shared that the numbers of visitors from SAARC countries have increased in the district while the arrival of the visitors from the western countries in on the decline. Likewise, Upper Mustang, ‘the semi-prohibited zone’ have been visited by nearly 4000 tourists during the review period.
