427,000 tourists visited Mustang in FY 2023/24

KATHMANDU, July 17: A total of 427,000 tourists visited Mustang's tourist spots in the last fiscal year. This represents an increase of 47,504 tourists in the fiscal year 2023/24 compared to the previous year, all traveling via the Beni-Jomsom road.

The Ghasa police station maintains records of vehicles and tourists entering Mustang by land. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Bhojraj Pandey of the District Police Office in Mustang reported that from Shrawan (mid-July to mid-August) 2023 to Asar (mid-June to mid-July) 2024, as many as 427,271 tourists arrived in Mustang using 74,374 vehicles.

Among these visitors, 318,814 were domestic tourists, 99,276 were from SAARC countries, and 9,171 were from other countries. In the fiscal year 2021/22, Mustang welcomed 379,767 tourists via 62,340 vehicles, with 303,800 domestic tourists and 75,967 foreign tourists.

Krishna Prasad Subedi, the priest of Muktinath temple, attributes the increase in tourist arrivals to improved road transport facilities, the inclusion of the Annapurna cycle trail among the world's top ten destinations by renowned international media, effective publicity, digital marketing, and the opening of convenient hotels.

A high number of foreign tourists visiting Mustang are from India. The region's attractions include deserted mountains, the Himalayan climate, unique culture and lifestyle, lakes, monasteries, the Muktinath temple, and caves. Key tourist destinations in Mustang include Muktinath, Jomsom, Kagbeni, Lo Manthang, Marpha, Thini, and Dhumba lake.

Baragung Mukti Kshetra Rural Municipality Chairman Rinjin Gurung noted a decline in tourists from outside SAARC countries. He believes that completing the blacktopping of the Beni-Jomsom road, currently under upgrade, will further boost tourist arrivals.

Foot trails and cycle paths constructed in Mustang with a budget of Rs 8 million

Infrastructure construction in various areas of Mustang district has gained momentum, with six tourist spots now ready to welcome visitors. The Tourism and Industry Office of Mustang, utilizing a budget allocated by the Gandaki Province government, has constructed a two-kilometer foot trail.

Prem Prasad Paudel, head of the Tourism and Industry Office in Mustang, said that six projects have been implemented with a budget worth Rs 8 million. This budget has been utilized to extend the duration of tourists' stays in Mustang, as well as for the beautification and maintenance of religious tourist sites.

In Marpha village of Gharapjhong Rural Municipality-2, stone steps connecting Hisrung Monastery and the apple orchard have been laid with a budget of Rs 3 million. Additionally, the pathway leading to the apple orchard at the top of Marpha village has been adorned with lights for a dazzling nighttime display.

Similarly, a foot trail has been constructed along the Lete Kunjo route via Pahirothapla, Thasang Rural Municipality, as an alternative to the foot trail displaced by the construction of the Beni-Jomsom road.

The foot trail of around 500 meters was built by cutting a hole through a cliff and erecting a concrete wall using rods across the Kaligandaki river from Ghansa, the entry point of Mustang.

A cycle path has been constructed from Kalopani in Thasang Rural Municipality via Thule to Syakubhra to facilitate the observation of endangered wildlife such as lophophorus, tragopan, and pheasant. Paudel said that about 600 meters of cycle path was constructed with a budget of Rs 1 million.

Likewise, efforts have also been made to establish a tourism information center at Jomsom airport, with a budget of Rs 1 million. According to Paudel, foot trails extending 200 meters from Lo Manthang to Dhiki, a prayer wheel in Lo Manthang Rural Municipality-3, and the maintenance of Nakhpa Gumba have all been completed with a budget of Rs 1 million each.

In the fiscal year 2023/24, the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment of the provincial government had allocated Rs 215 million for 11 tourism infrastructure projects.