Over 44,000 tourists visit Annapurna area in a month

By Nabinraj Kunikel,Lamjung, May 15: This year, the number of tourists visiting the Annapurna Conservation Area has significantly increased. In the month of April alone, 44,763 foreign tourists visited the region.

According to the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), this figure is 10,852 more than that of the same month last year. 

In April 2023, total 33,911 foreign tourists had visited the area. According to ACAP’s data, there has been a continuous increase in tourist arrivals in recent years.

ACAP Chief Dr. Rabin Kadariya said a total of 103,024 tourists visited the area in the first four months of 2025. 

This number is 78,968 more than the same period in 2023. In the first four months of 2022, only 68,756 tourists had visited the Annapurna Conservation Area.

Dr. Kadariya said that the tourism of the region, which had slowed down due to COVID-19, has returned to its previous pace. 

According to him, 36,834 tourists visited the Annapurna region in March, while 12,068 visited the region in February and 9,359 in January.

The Annapurna Conservation Area is a world-renowned destination for trekking tourism. 

The Annapurna Circuit is ranked among the world’s top ten trekking destinations. ACAP only keeps records of foreign tourists trekking in the Annapurna Circuit.

Popular destinations on the Annapurna Circuit include Annapurna Base Camp, Mardi Himal of Kaski, Sikles village, Lwangghale village, Ghandruk village, Tilicho Lake in Manang, Thorang La Pass, Upper Mustang, Muktinath area, Ghorepani and Poon Hill in Myagdi, which attract hundreds of thousands of domestic and international tourists annually.

The Annapurna Conservation Area, covering 7,600 square kilometres, includes 87 wards from 15 local levels in Kaski, Lamjung, Manang, Myagdi, and Mustang districts. 

The region is favoured by both domestic and international tourists for its natural beauty, biodiversity, Himalayan lifestyle, civilisation and culture.

With its scenic destinations including snow-capped peaks, tourist-friendly infrastructure, climate and the hospitality and services of local people, the Annapurna Circuit is recognised as one of the best trekking destinations in the world.