Mustang's tourism activities increasing

MYAGDI:Mustang's tourist industry has begun to grow. tourism traffic has increased with the start of the tourist season.

The main tourism season in Nepal is Asoj-Mangsir (August-November). According to the Annapurna Conservation Area Project's Area Conservation Office in Jomsom, 15,328 foreign tourists have visited Mustang since last Shrawan (July).

"From Shrawan to Asoj (July to October) of this fiscal year, 13 thousand 98 tourists from SAARC countries and 2 thousand 230 tourists from outside SAARC visited Mustang," said Pramod Raj Regmi, the conservation office's head, "the number of foreign tourists entering Mustang is higher, Indian religious tourists are primarily visiting Muktinath."

He states that Mustang tourism, which slowed during the COVID-19 outbreak, is gradually resuming. The movement of domestic tourists in Mustang has reduced marginally compared to the previous year, according to Regmi.

"The data of domestic tourists visiting Mustang has not been kept, but this year, the movement of Nepalis in Mustang is less,"  he added.

According to Manguna Thakali, owner of the Srijan Hotel and Thakali Kitchen in Jomsom, there were very few domestic tourists in Mustang this year compared to last.

"The number of domestic tourists used to increase around Dashain, the hotels used to be full of guests, now the hotel rooms are empty during the main days" , he explained. "The effect of economic recession has also been seen in Mustang tourism, it is hoped that domestic tourists will increase after Dasain."

Thakali stated that the transportation of tourists is difficult due to the poor condition of the road connecting Mustang.

"Compared to the rainy season, the roads have improved a bit now, but due to the lack of quality roads, tourists coming to Mustang have to suffer in places," he added.

Hotel and tourism owners in and around Mustang are concerned about a shortage of visitors during the peak season. Mustang is accessible by road through Myagdi and by air from Pokhara. Even after cutting the Thorangla Bhanjyang via Manang, according to Robin Kadariya, the leader of the Annapurna Conservation Area project, tourist mustangs enter. He claims that Mustang, which is part of the world-famous Annapurna circuit trek, is popular with both domestic and foreign tourists.

"Overall, the number of foreign tourists in Mustang has increased, but the number of tourists from outside the SAARC countries seems to be decreasing" , he stated. He added that "most of the foreign tourists visiting Mustang are Indian religious tourists."

Because the Buddhist monk Padmasambhava traveled to Tibet to preach Buddhism through Muktinath, the location is also regarded as a Buddhist pilgrimage site.