February 28: Langtang and the Gosainkunda foot trails, where tourism activities were silent due to Covid-19 infection, has now started receiving foreign tourists. There has been an increase in the number of tourists arriving here after the decline in Covid-19 infection. With the onset of spring, the warm weather in the frosty mountains has also attracted tourists.

Ram Sharan Gajurel, president of the district chapter of the Hotel Entrepreneurs' Association, Rasuwa, said that the hotels and lodges, which were closed due to snowfall, have reopened. He said that they resumed service as soon as the tourists started arriving in the area.

According to Gajurel, the arrival of tourists has given a glimmer of hope to the businessmen who thinking of giving up their business due to the heavy loss they sustained because of the impact of the pandemic.

 The hoteliers of Langtang informed that 15-20 domestic tourists and four to five foreigners have been arriving in the region daily since the last few days.

With the expectation that the tourism sector will flourish in the coming days, the businessmen here have already started preparations of further strengthening the hotels and lodges along the foot trails, said Chairman Gajurel.

Hari Aryal, 24, of Kapilvastu Banganga-8 said that the biodiversity during the pilgrimage to Gosainkunda, the snowfall on Wednesday and the high mountain range of western Nepal seen from Lauribinayak made the journey fascinating.

Patrick, a US citizen and Nick from the UK, who came to Gosainkunda via Rasuwa Trek and Travel Tour, Thamel Kathmandu, said that many of their friends are eager to see the beauty of the Himalayan region. They said that they would complete the visit in the first and then recommend other friends to visit Rasuwa. They plan to stay in Chandanbari, Lauribinayak and Gosainkunda for a week.

Gagan Raj Neupane, a tourism entrepreneur, said that mid-February to mid-June and mid-September to mid-December are the most suitable time for mountaineering. According to tourism entrepreneurs, the main attraction for tourists in the region include Gosainkunda, which holds significance from both religious and tourism point of views, as well as Langtang and Kangjen under Red Panda foot trail, and Gatlang, Nagthali, Thuman and Wriddhim areas of under the Tamang Heritage Route.