April 24: Tourism activities have increased in Mustang. Tourism activities which had slowed down due to Covid-19, is picking up pace again. For the past few days, the number of tourists going to and from Mustang via Myagdi has increased along the Beni-Jomsom road.

Rishi Baral, head of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) at Jomsom, said that the arrival of domestic tourists has increased while foreign tourists have also started visiting Mustang. 

"The number of foreign tourists visiting Mustang by road and air has increased," he said.

According to the District Traffic Police Office, 50 buses, 150 jeeps and 200 tourist vehicles enter Mustang daily through Myagdi.

Police Chief Indra Bahadur Nepali said that the Border Police Post at Kalipul Post and Bhurung Tatopani in Beni keep records of vehicles entering and leaving Mustang.

Access to vaccines against Covid-19 has led to a decline in infection rate, while the lifting of restrictions on tourist sites and favorable weather have led to increase in number of tourists.

Tourists are flocking to Muktinath Temple, Kagbeni, Korala, Lo-Manthang, Jomsom, Dhumwa Lake and Lete. 

Samjhana Thakali, a resident of Jomsom, said that those visiting the area include mothers’ group, forest users’ group, club members, cooperatives and students for educational purpose.

The road in Mustang has reached up to Korala pass on the Chinese border. The easy access to transportation has made travel costs cheaper and time shorter.

Tourism activities in Mustang has been stagnant for the last two years since the outbreak of the Covid-19 in April 2020. Hotels and restaurants opened with millions of investment were slowed down due to lack of tourists. Entrepreneurs hope that the hotel business will return to its old rhythm with the increase in tourism activities.

Baburam Acharya, district president of the Hotel and Restaurant Entrepreneurs' Association, said that the businessmen of Myagdi were also relieved by the increasing movement of tourists going to and from Mustang.