Annapurna Region Welcomes Over 2.6 Million Foreign Tourists in 25 Years

Pokhara. More than 2.632 million foreign tourists have visited the world-renowned trekking destination, the Annapurna region, over the last 25 years.

According to the data from the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), this number of tourists entered the region between 2001 and 2025. In 2025 alone, a record high of 299,831 tourists visited the area, setting a new benchmark.

Starting from about 65,000 tourists in 2001, the number has shown an increasing trend amidst fluctuations. The tourist count surpassed 100,000 for the first time during Nepal's Visit Nepal Year in 2011.

Although there was a sharp decline in tourist arrivals for a few years due to the 2015 earthquake and the 2020-21 Corona pandemic, the growth rate since then has been impressive. During the height of the pandemic in 2021, the lowest number of only 16,105 tourists reached this area.

Of the tourists who arrived last year, more than 177,000 were from South Asian countries alone. Dr. Rabin Kadelia, Chief of ACAP, stated that the attraction to this area has increased due to destinations like Annapurna Base Camp, Mardi Himal, Tilicho Lake, Thorong La Pass, Upper Mustang, and Muktinath.

The Annapurna region is considered equally popular for domestic tourists as it is for foreigners, owing to its natural beauty, biodiversity, and observation of Himalayan life.

This area, spread across 15 local levels in Kaski, Lamjung, Manang, Myagdi, and Mustang districts, is one of the world's best destinations for trekking. The tourism business in this region continues to flourish due to the necessary infrastructure for trekking and the hospitality of the locals.