Tourist influx in Khumbu region: 1,539 visitors arrive in a single day

Solukhumbu, October 9 — The area surrounding the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, and the Khumbu region has been bustling with tourists. On a single day, Lukla Airport recorded 200 flights.

According to Umesh Panthi, the chief of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal in Lukla, there were 198 flights from Manthali in Ramechhap and Kathmandu on Tuesday. The flights included 61 by airplanes and 139 by helicopters. On that day, 1,539 tourists entered the Khumbu region.

He reported that 167 domestic and 667 foreign tourists arrived by airplane, while 695 tourists came by helicopter. With the tourist season underway, he anticipates that the number of flights will continue to increase. However, planes coming from Kathmandu and Ramechhap are often returning mostly empty. Amrit Magar from Tara Airlines noted that while there is a high influx of tourists to Lukla, the number of those returning is relatively low.

With the trekking season beginning, local tourism entrepreneurs are also feeling enthusiastic. Lama Kaji Sherpa, a businessman from Namche, stated, “We are currently overwhelmed with hospitality for our guests.”

Hotel operators in tourist spots such as Lukla, Jorsalle, Phakding, Namche, Khumjung, and Tengboche are busy welcoming tourists. The area’s trails, rest areas, hotels, and lodges are filled with visitors. According to Manoj Kumar Mandal, the information officer for Sagarmatha National Park, tourists entering the Everest area must register at the Jorsalle entry point.

Established in 1975, Sagarmatha National Park covers an area of 1,148 square kilometers. The park's Gokyo Lake was included in the Ramsar List in 2007. The park has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. It is home to species such as musk deer, wild goat, Himalayan ghoral, leaf monkeys, monal pheasants, snow leopards, and Tibetan snowcocks. The number of people residing within the park area exceeds 3,000, as reported by conservation officer Mandal.