Annapurna Circuit desolate

By Ganesh Paudel,Parbat, July 13: The Annapurna Circuit, which is usually bustling with tourists from all over the world, lies deserted these days. Due to the monsoon season, the entire route is empty, devoid of the national and international trekkers that usually fill it.

According to local businesses, tourist numbers are a tenth of what they were just a few months ago. This has led to the shuttering of many hotels too.

Before the rainy season began, 300 to 500 tourists used to come here from Birethati every day. But now, that number is down to 50, informed tourist policeman Santa Lal Kohara.

The data kept by the Annapurna Conservation Area also show that less than a hundred people come to the circuit, named one of the top 10 places to experience in the world by Lonely Planet in 2021, per day.

Of late, many are preferring to travel to Ghandruk in vehicles rather than trek on the circuit. "This may have made it easy for tourists but has decimated our business," worried hotelier Durga Devi Bhandari. "Many hotels along the circuit have closed down."

Talking to The Rising Nepal, trekking guide Pasang Dawa Sherpa shared that tourists used to spend five to 15 days trekking the circuit and spend around US$ 300 per day. "Over 300 tourists spending US$ 300 each meant that we earned over Rs. 10 million daily in the peak season."

Tourist numbers decline every year during the rainy season and pick up in the middle of August. The months from September to November are considered the best to trek the Annapurna Circuit.