The Manaslu region of northern Gorkha has seen a record surge in foreign tourist arrivals, with 12,259 visitors entering the area by mid-May of the current fiscal year 2024/25, according to the Manaslu Conservation Area Project (MCAP).
MCAP Chief Santosh Sherchan said this is the highest number of tourists the region has ever received in a single year. In comparison, 9,782 tourists visited the area in fiscal year 2023/24, 7,705 in 2022/23, and 2,284 in 2021/22. The number had plummeted to just 194 in 2020/21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
MCAP had set a target of attracting 12,500 tourists in the current fiscal year. "We have already achieved 98.07 percent of the target, and we expect to exceed it by the end of the year," said Sherchan.
He noted that the number of visitors has been rising steadily each year after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted travel. In earlier years, the region saw 5,338 tourists in 2019/20 and 7,655 in 2018/19.
MCAP has made arrangements for tourists to pay an entry fee of Rs 1,000 per person for those from SAARC countries and Rs 3,000 for other international visitors. The entry fees can be paid at counters located at Bhrikuti Mandap in Kathmandu and the Dam Site in Pokhara. Those who fail to pay at these locations must pay double at the MCAP check posts in Jagat and Samagaun.
Since the Manaslu Conservation Area is designated as a restricted area, tourists are required to obtain a permit from the Department of Immigration.
Sherchan said the department issues one-week permits for visits to the Chum and Nubri Valleys. The permit fees vary by season: $50 per person for Chum Valley during peak season and $25 during the off-season; for Nubri Valley, the fee is $70 during the season and $35 in the off-season. Additional charges apply for extended stays.
The Manaslu region includes seven wards of Chum Nubri Rural Municipality. Sirdibas, Lho, Prok, Bihi, Samagaun, Chumchet, and Chekampar are part of the conservation area. Among them, Samagaun, Lho, Prok, and Bihi comprise the Nubri Valley, while Chumchet and Chekampar are part of the Chum Valley.
The Manaslu region has been open to foreign tourists since 1995. -- RSS
Tourists in Manaslu area. RSS Photo
