Entrepreneurs have become enthusiastic after about 3,000 tourists started entering Mustang daily by land and air.
According to Jomsom Airport, there are 15 daily flights to Mustang, which is a center of attraction for domestic and foreign tourists. Similarly, a dense line of vehicles can be seen on the Beni-Jomsom road.
Tourists in Mustang, which has been deserted due to the risk of COVID-19 for the past two years, are now overwhelmed by both air and land routes, said a tourism entrepreneur. This year, the tourist season has started, coinciding with the risk of COVID-19 decreasing.
As Chaite Dashain approaches, there is a large presence of people in Kagbeni of Mustang who offer tarpan and pinda to their forefathers. Devlal Poudel of Gaindakot Municipality-12, Harkpur, Nawalpur, who came to Mustang with a team of 22 people with the intention of touring for a few days and returning after donating pind, said that Mustang was more beautiful than he had imagined and now it was difficult to find a hotel.
According to Tirtha Bahadur Sherchan of Jomsom, the number of domestic and foreign tourists have increased due to the onset of suitable weather. Similarly, Mustangis from home and abroad have also started returning to the district as the Tiji Mela to be held in Lomanthang of Upper Mustang has also started.
Chief of Jomsom Airport in Mustang, Puskal Raj Sharma, informed that the daily flights have been reduced to 15 after the resumption of Mustang-Pokhara flights on March 7.
He said that more than two hundred and fifty tourists are entering Mustang daily by air alone as there is a capacity of 18 people in one flight. According to Ashish Adhikari, Information Officer of the District Police Office, Mustang, there is a similar crowd entering Mustang by land. He informed that more than two thousand tourists are coming to Mustang in buses, jeeps and motorcycles daily.
Hotelier Chhepten Gurung of Kagbeni said that the tourism and hotel business of Mustang, which had been deserted for a long time due to lack of tourists due to COVID-19, is now returning to its old rhythm.
He also said that the number of pre-bookings has increased. While most of the tourists entering the hotel are Indians and Nepalis, Gurung said that tourists from other countries have also started appearing. According to the businessman, the hotel business in Mustang, which has been sluggish for the past two years due to the decrease in tourist arrivals, has been revived.
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