Khumbu region sees surge in tourist arrivals, Lukla records 200 flights on Tuesday

SOLUKHUMBU, Oct 10: The Khumbu region in Solukhumbu district has seen a surge in tourist arrivals. The Lukla airport reported 200 flights in a single day, indicating a significant influx of visitors for trekking in the Khumbu region and expeditions to Mount Everest.

According to Umesh Panthi, Chief of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) at Lukla, the airport recorded a total of 298 flights from Kathmandu and Manthali in Ramechhap on Tuesday. 

A total of 1,539 tourists arrived in Khumbu that day, with 62 flights by aircraft and 139 flights by helicopter. Among them, 167 domestic and 667 international tourists landed by plane, while 615 arrived by helicopter.

The number of flights is expected to increase as the tourist season has begun. However, many return flights are nearly empty, as aircraft and helicopters depart from Khumbu with few passengers.

Local tourism entrepreneurs are excited about the increased number of visitors. "We are busy offering hospitality to our guests," said Lamakaji Sherpa from Namche. The trekking season is in full swing.

Hoteliers in Lukla, Jorsalle, Phakding, Namche, Khumjung, and Tengboche—areas along the Khumbu trekking routes—are actively welcoming guests.

Sagarmatha National Park, Namche's information office Manoj Kumar Mandal said that registration of tourist arrivals is now mandatory at Jorsalle, the gateway to the Sagarmatha region.

Sagarmatha National Park, established in 1976, spans an area of 1,448 square kilometers and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. It includes the Gokyo Lake, which was listed in the Ramsar list in 2007. The park is home to diverse wildlife, including deer, the Himalayan blue sheep and wild goat, baboons, monal pheasants, horned larks, and Tibetan snowcock. The population residing within the park exceeds 3,000.