Int'l Mountain Museum draws visitors from 98 countries

By Phadindra Adhikari,Lekhnath, Apr. 27: The International Mountain Museum in Pokhara is one of the man-made heritages that entice tourists. Tourists from 98 countries visited the museum in the last fiscal year to study mountain, mountaineering and mountain life. 

Since October/November last year, the data of foreigners visiting the museum has been kept according to their nationality. In the current fiscal year, 15,772 people from SAARC countries visited the museum and the museum has earned Rs. 4.1 million. 

A total of 18,190 tourists from different countries have visited the museum and the museum has collected Rs. 9.5 million during the nine months. A total of 1,764 Japanese tourists visited the museum in nine months, making the Japanese first among the tourists visiting the museum. 

Likewise a total of 1,076 French, 793 Americans, 565 British and 816 South Koreans visited the museum. The museum has collected Rs 29.94 million in the last two years, and Rs. 29.11 million is collected in the current fiscal year.

Nirmala Kumari Neupane, the Executive Director of the museum, said that nationality-based data will help prepare the future strategies of the museum. 

"The museum has been developed as a study centre for mountain activities, culture and climate change for over two decades,” said Neupane. It is focused on sharing knowledge and it spends at least Rs. 2 million a month as a running cost, she said. 

Thakur Raj Pandey, Senior Vice-President of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, said that the museum spreads over almost 100 ropanis of land in Pokhara-17 and needs government assistance is imperative to develop the museum as a research centre.

"More tourists and researchers can be attracted by developing the museum as a research centre, and the government should invest in the museum and work for its promotion," said Pandey.