April 3: A total of 30,199 foreign tourists visited the Annapurna region in the month of March. This includes 14,668 tourists from South Asian countries and 15,531 tourists from other countries, according to the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP).

The arrival of tourists has increased with the end of the winter season and the number is expected to grow further in April, said Chief of ACAP Dr Rabin Kadaria.

In 2023, a total of 191,558 tourists from 173 countries had visited the Annapurna region, a record so far. It surpassed the previous record of 181,000 before the coronavirus pandemic in 2019. The number was 129,733 in 2022.

The Annapurna base camp, Mardi Himal, Ghandruk, Tilicho Lake in Manang, Thorangla Pass, Upper Mustang, Muktinath area, Ghodepani in Myagdi on the Annapurna circuit are some of the major attractions for tourists visiting the region. Kaski, Lamjung, Manang, Myagdi and Mustang fall under the ACAP spread over an area of 7600 square kilometers. -- RSS