Tourist numbers rise in Kanchenjunga region

By Chandra Pandak

Taplejung, Aug. 5: The number of tourists visiting the Kanchenjunga region, home to the world’s third and Nepal’s second-highest peak, has increased. According to the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Office, tourist arrivals rose by nearly 24 per cent in the fiscal year 2024/25 compared to the previous year. 

Conservation Officer Pramod Kumar Yadav reported that last year 40 Nepalis and 58 tourists from SAARC countries visited the area.

In addition, 1,246 international tourists from outside SAARC nations visited, bringing the total number of visitors to 1,344. The previous year, there had been 29 Nepalis, 39 SAARC tourists and 1,017 international visitors, totalling 1,085.

This marks a 23.87 per cent increase in visitors compared to fiscal year 2023/24. Alongside the rise in tourist numbers, revenue collected by the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Management Council also rose by nearly 31 per cent.

According to Yadav, a total of Rs. 4,437,089 was collected last fiscal year. Of this, Rs 2.47 million came from tourism fees (including helicopter services), Rs. 1.89 million from forest royalties, Rs. 26,019 was miscellaneous recovery and Rs. 48,675 was other income from forest areas.

In the fiscal year 2022/23, total revenue stood at Rs. 3.4 million. This included Rs. 2.22 million from tourism fees, Rs. 1.14 million from forest royalties and Rs. 39,445 from other income sources.