January 2: A record high number of tourists visited the Annapurna region in 2023. According to the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), a total of 191,558 foreign tourists visited the world-famous Annapurna Circuit for trekking in the review year.

Prior to this, the highest number of tourists (181,000) had visited the Annapurna region in 2019

"A new record has been established in the arrival of tourists in the Annapurna region in 2023," said the head of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project, Rabin Kadaria, adding, "Recently, there has been an increase in the number of tourists from South Asian countries, while tourists from other countries have decreased."

In 2019, a total of 53,710 tourists from South Asian countries reached Annapurna, while last year 97,554 people from this region visited the area.

Tourists from other countries have decreased compared to before, according to the statistics of ACAP. In 2019, 127,290 tourists from countries other than the SAARC region entered the Annapurna region, while last year a total of 94,400 tourists visited the region, Kadaria informed.

According to him, tourists from 173 countries visited the Annapurna region in 2023 out of which 96,187 tourists were from India. In the review year, 8,526 tourists from France, 7,641 from Germany, 7,249 from America, 7,174 from Britain and 6,323 from China entered the Annapurna region.

The arrival of tourists took a nosedive with the onset of Covid-19 pandemic. But with the end of the pandemic, tourism in the Annapurna region has returned to normalcy. A total of 16,105 tourists visited the Annapurna region in 2021 during the pandemic. The following year i.e. in 2022, altogether 129,733 tourists reached the area.

ACAP project chief Kadaria said that the number of tourists from Europe and America coming for trekking has decreased as the old foot trails are being displaced by newly-built roads.

"The foot trails in the Annapurna Circuit are in existential crisis due to the expansion of the road network. As a result, Annapurna Circuit’s charm as a renowned trekking destination is diminishing,” said Kadaria, adding that all stakeholders need to protect the foot trails in order to protect the identity of the Annapurna Circuit, which is one of the top ten destinations in the world according to the list  prepared by Lonely Planet.

Every year, millions of domestic and foreign tourists visit the Annapurna base camp, Mardi Himal, Ghandruk, Tilicho Lake in Manang, Thorangla Pass, Upper Mustang, Muktinath region, Ghodepani in Myagdi whih fall along the Annapurna Circuit.

The Annapurna Conservation Area Project only keeps the data of foreign tourists who visit these destinations.

"It is ascertain the exact number of domestic tourists, but the number of people entering Mustang and Manang by road is significant," said the project chief Kadaria, adding, "There is more visitors during the two seasons – autumn and spring."

The Annapurna conservation area spreads over 7,600 square kilometers and is considered an attractive destination for trekking.

Three years ago, the famous international travel site Lonely Planet listed the Annapurna Circuit as one of the top 10 destinations in the world. The importance of this area was further highlighted when UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres visited the Annapurna base camp during his recent visit to Nepal in November.

Mustang Valley, which was included in the list of 23 must-visit destinations in the world by the American news agency CNN in 2023, is also located in the Annapurna Conservation Area.

Tourist guide Divas Gurung says that the Annapurna region is one of the preferred choices of tourists because of its natural beauty, bio-diversity, rustic mountain life, culture, among others.

"Visitors can opt for short, medium and long-distance trekking in the Annapurna region from any route including Kaski, Lamjung, Manang, Myagdi," he said.