More than 225,000 tourists visited Khumbu region in five years

KATHMANDU, March 03:During the last five years, only 2,25,235 tourists have visited the Khumbu region of Solukhumbu. According to the statistics of Khumbu Pasang Lhamu rural municipality, the number of tourists who come for trekking in Khumbu region from the financial year 2074-075 till now is more than 250,000.

Mingma Chhiri Sherpa, chairman of the rural municipality, said that the municipality has collected 450 million four hundred thousand rupees in revenue from the tourist fee alone in five years. The rural municipality has released the statistics on the occasion of the interaction program related to tourism in the Khumbu region organized by the rural municipality  for the development of the Khumbu region, which is known as the main tourist region of Nepal.

To further promote tourism in the Khumbu region, the rural municipality has discussed with stakeholders and collected suggestions. Chairman Sherpa said that Khumbu, which is considered as a tourist rural municipality among 753 local levels, aims to double the number of tourist arrivals in the coming years by further improving the management area including the safe tourist destination, integrated tourist safety policy.

Judha Gurung, a member of the National Natural Resources and Finance Commission, who participated in the program, said that the potential of Khumbu, which is rich in natural resources, is immense. Nepal, which is known as the country of mountains, has 78 mountains identified only within Khumbu Rural Municipality. 

President Sherpa said that the rural municipality aims to improve not only hiking but also mountain tourism in accordance with the policy. The rural municipality has said that due to the lack of not only policies but also infrastructure, coordination with all agencies and road expansion is the first priority. Due to the lack of road connecting Khumbu, until now we have to depend on the air route from Lukla airport. Since the road has reached from Salleri to Tham Hill, the rural municipality has informed that the work has been progressed to connect the road to Lukla.

The speakers of the program said that since the number of tourists in the Khumbu region is high according to the season, it is important to make hotel and lodge management effective. He suggested that a one-and-a-half system should be implemented as the management of porters, rescue operations, tourist fees along with the fees charged in the name of teams have become obstacles.

This Khumbu area starts from 1599 meters and extends to 8848.86 meters.