More than 10 thousand foreign tourists visit Manaslu area in 2024

GORKHA, Jan 28:In 2024, more foreign tourists visited the Manaslu region than in previous years. According to the Manaslu Conservation Area Project, which collects tourism information, 1,500 more tourists visited the popular tourist attraction Manaslu region in 2024 than the previous year.

According to the Manaslu Conservation Area Project, the region received 10,600 international tourists in 2024, up from 9,177 in 2023. This is the biggest number of tourists to visit the Manaslu region so far.

According to Santosh Sherchan, head of MCAP, foreign tourists from Europe and America outnumber those from South Asian countries. He stated that the Manaslu region received the most international tourists from France in 2024, totaling 1,335.

Similarly, the office's records show that 1,181 German people and 796 Americans visited the Manaslu region. According to reports, the maximum number of Indian visitors, 159, have walked to Manaslu among SAARC member countries. Similarly, foreign tourists from the Netherlands, Germany, Britain, Australia, Spain, and China have visited the Manaslu region.

To visit the Manaslu region, travelers from SAARC member nations must pay Rs 1,000 per person, while tourists from other countries must pay Rs 3,000. Tourists are required to pay the entry charge at the counters located at Bhrikuti Mandap in Kathmandu and Damsite in Pokhara.Tourists who have not paid the entry charge at both of these locations, according to MCAP chief Sherchan, would have to pay twice as much at MCAP's Jagat and Samagaun checkpoints to enter the region.

Because it is considered a restricted region, tourists must seek authorization from the Immigration Department before visiting the Manaslu Conservation region. The department grants one-week licenses to visit Tsum and Nubri Valley. During that time, tourists must pay $50 per person for Tsum Valley during the season and only $25 offseason.

Similarly, there is a rule that requires tourists to pay $70 per person for Nubri Valley during the season and $35 offseason. If you plan to stay for more than a week, you will need to pay an extra cost. The Manaslu region is a confined territory that encompasses seven wards of Chumnubri Rural Municipality. Starting this year, the rural municipality began collecting revenue from both foreign and domestic tourists.

The municipality began collecting revenue on October 1 of last year. The conservation area covers Wards 1–7 of Chumnubri Rural Municipality. The old Samagaon, Lho, Prok, and Bihi VDCs are known as the Nubri Valley, and Chumchet and Chhaikampar are known as the Tsum Valley. The Manaslu region has been open to tourists since 2005.