Kathmandu, March 7
Nepal’s tourism and mountaineering officials are preparing for the new climbing season this spring. As there are some domestic challenges in making the season a success financially, the officials fear the ongoing Russia-Ukraine tensions might have an impact.
Consequently, it is highly likely that the number of European mountaineers and other visitors will see a significant drop whereas the number of Asians might go up.
“Tourists scheduled to visit from Russia and Ukraine have already cancelled their bookings. Hence, we fear it will have an impact on other parts of Europe also,” the Nepal Mountaineering Association‘s general-secretary Kul Bahadur Gurung says.
Because of the crisis in Europe, Asians planning for Europe trips might divert their way towards Nepal, hence the number of Asians might go up, according to him.
Nepal had issued 659 climbing permits in the spring climbing season last year, which was the record high in Nepal’s mountaineering history. Tourism Department Director Surya Prasad Upadhyaya says the government has expected similar numbers this year too.
