Nepal readies for more foreign tourists in Annapurna region

Nepalese tourism associations are gearing up to attract more foreign tourists to the Annapurna region this season.

Located at the foothills of Mount Annapurna, the world's 10th tallest mountain, the Annapurna trekking circuit is the second most popular in Nepal after the Mount Everest base camp, reports Xinhua news agency.

To attract more foreign tourists to the region, Nepal organised a nine-month-long Annapurna Sanctuary Tourism Festival in three phases, which concluded this week coinciding with Annapurna Day.

"Annapurna region is enriched with majestic snow-capped mountains, rich culture and diverse flora and fauna. We can tap these potentials and attract more tourists in the region," Deepak Joshi, head of the Nepal Tourism Board, told Xinhua.

As part of the festival, a high-altitude marathon was also organised starting from the Annapurna Base Camp located at an altitude of 4,130 metres above sea level.

The Annapurna trekking circuit covers various districts of Nepal including Kaski, Lamjung, Manang and Mustang.

According to statistics, over 25,000 tourists trek in the region annually.

April-May and September-October is regarded as the suitable season for trekking in the Himalayas including in Annapurna region.

The Nepal government has already announced the year 2020 as Visit Nepal Year where it aims to welcome 2 million foreign tourists.

In 2017, Nepal welcomed 940,218 foreign tourists, mostly from India and China.

--IANS

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